What are the potential benefits of using mod_rewrite for URL formatting in PHP?

When working with URLs in PHP, it is common to use mod_rewrite to format URLs in a more user-friendly and SEO-friendly way. Mod_rewrite allows you to rewrite URLs in a more readable format, making them easier for both users and search engines to understand. This can improve the overall user experience and potentially boost search engine rankings.

// Example of using mod_rewrite to format URLs in PHP
// Create a .htaccess file in your root directory with the following code:

<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
    RewriteEngine On
    RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
    RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
    RewriteRule ^(.*)$ index.php?url=$1 [QSA,L]
</IfModule>

// In your PHP code, you can then access the formatted URL like this:
$url = $_GET['url'];
echo "Formatted URL: " . $url;