What are the best practices for handling file operations and data storage in PHP scripts to prevent data loss or corruption?

To prevent data loss or corruption in PHP scripts, it is important to follow best practices for handling file operations and data storage. This includes using proper error handling, ensuring data integrity through validation and sanitization, and implementing backup solutions to prevent loss of data.

// Example of handling file operations and data storage securely in PHP

// Check if file exists before performing any operations
$file = 'data.txt';
if (file_exists($file)) {
    // Read data from file
    $data = file_get_contents($file);

    // Validate and sanitize data
    $sanitized_data = filter_var($data, FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING);

    // Perform operations on data
    // ...

    // Backup data to prevent loss
    $backup_file = 'backup_data.txt';
    file_put_contents($backup_file, $data);
} else {
    echo 'File does not exist.';
}