What are the implications of using global variables like $wpdb in PHP code, and how can this impact the overall functionality and maintainability of the code, especially in a WordPress context?

Using global variables like $wpdb in PHP code can lead to potential conflicts and make the code harder to maintain. It's better to encapsulate such variables within functions or classes to improve code organization and prevent unintended modifications. In a WordPress context, it's recommended to use the global $wpdb object within functions or methods rather than directly accessing it globally. 

// Encapsulate $wpdb within a function
function my_custom_query() {
    global $wpdb;
    
    $results = $wpdb->get_results( "SELECT * FROM wp_posts" );
    
    // Process the results
}

Keywords

global variables $wpdb PHP code functionality maintainability

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