What are the common pitfalls to avoid when using require_once() and exit() together in PHP?

When using require_once() and exit() together in PHP, a common pitfall to avoid is that if require_once() fails to include a file, the script will still exit due to the exit() function, potentially causing unexpected behavior. To solve this issue, you can use a conditional check after require_once() to verify if the file was successfully included before calling exit().

<?php
// Attempt to include a file
require_once 'some_file.php';

// Check if the file was included successfully
if (!class_exists('SomeClass')) {
    exit('Error: Failed to include required file');
}

// Continue with the rest of the script
echo 'File included successfully';
?>