What are the potential drawbacks of using a single PHP file for form handling and validation?

Using a single PHP file for form handling and validation can lead to a cluttered and hard-to-maintain codebase, making it difficult to debug and add new features in the future. It is recommended to separate the form handling and validation logic into separate files or functions to improve code organization and reusability.

// Separate form handling and validation logic into different files or functions

// form_handling.php
include 'validation.php';

// Handle form submission
if ($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"] == "POST") {
    $errors = validateForm($_POST);
    if (empty($errors)) {
        // Process form data
    } else {
        // Display errors to the user
    }
}

// validation.php
function validateForm($formData) {
    $errors = [];

    // Validation logic
    if (empty($formData['name'])) {
        $errors['name'] = 'Name is required';
    }

    // Add more validation rules as needed

    return $errors;
}