What are the best practices for handling and displaying numbers in PHP scripts?

When handling and displaying numbers in PHP scripts, it is important to format them properly to ensure readability and accuracy. Use number_format() function to format numbers with commas for thousands separator and decimal points. Additionally, use sprintf() function to format numbers with specific precision and padding.

// Formatting numbers with commas for thousands separator and decimal points
$number = 1234567.89;
$formatted_number = number_format($number, 2);

echo $formatted_number; // Output: 1,234,567.89

// Formatting numbers with specific precision and padding
$number = 123.456;
$formatted_number = sprintf("%05.2f", $number);

echo $formatted_number; // Output: 123.46