What are the potential benefits of using mysql_close() in PHP scripts, even though it may not be required?

Using mysql_close() in PHP scripts can help release resources and free up memory by closing the connection to the MySQL database when it is no longer needed. While PHP automatically closes the connection at the end of the script execution, explicitly calling mysql_close() can be beneficial in scenarios where the script runs for a long time or makes multiple database connections.

// Establish a connection to the MySQL database
$connection = mysql_connect("localhost", "username", "password");

// Perform database operations

// Close the connection when it is no longer needed
mysql_close($connection);