What are the best practices for naming variables in PHP code to improve code readability and maintainability?

When naming variables in PHP code, it is important to choose descriptive and meaningful names that accurately represent the purpose or content of the variable. This helps improve code readability and maintainability by making it easier for other developers (or your future self) to understand the code without needing to decipher cryptic variable names. Additionally, following a consistent naming convention, such as using camelCase or snake_case, can further enhance code clarity.

// Bad example: unclear variable names
$a = 5;
$b = "Hello";

// Good example: descriptive variable names
$number = 5;
$message = "Hello";