What are the best practices for handling return values in PHP functions to avoid infinite loops?

To avoid infinite loops when handling return values in PHP functions, it is important to always check the return value before proceeding with any further logic. This can be done by using conditional statements to validate the return value and handle any potential errors or unexpected values. Additionally, it is recommended to have a base case or exit condition in recursive functions to prevent infinite recursion.

function recursiveFunction($input) {
    // Base case to exit recursion
    if ($input == 0) {
        return $input;
    }

    // Recursive call with updated input
    $result = recursiveFunction($input - 1);

    // Check return value before proceeding
    if ($result !== false) {
        // Handle return value
        return $result;
    } else {
        // Handle error or unexpected value
        return false;
    }
}