What are the differences between include_once() and require_once() functions in PHP, and how can they be utilized in this context?

The main difference between include_once() and require_once() functions in PHP is that require_once() will produce a fatal error if the file cannot be included, while include_once() will only produce a warning. To utilize these functions, you can use them to include files that contain functions or classes that you need in your PHP script, ensuring they are included only once to prevent redeclaration errors.

// Using require_once() to include a file containing functions
require_once('functions.php');

// Using include_once() to include a file containing a class
include_once('class.php');