What are the best practices for separating HTML, CSS, and PHP code to improve code readability and maintainability in web development projects?

To improve code readability and maintainability in web development projects, it is best practice to separate HTML, CSS, and PHP code into distinct files. This separation allows for easier management of code, better organization, and improved collaboration among team members. By keeping these different components separate, it becomes easier to make changes to one aspect without affecting the others.

<?php
// index.php

include 'header.php';

// PHP code here

include 'footer.php';
?>