What are the potential pitfalls of not setting short_open_tag correctly in the php.ini file and how can it affect code execution?

Not setting short_open_tag correctly in the php.ini file can lead to issues with code execution, especially if short tags (`<?`) are used in the PHP code. This can result in PHP code not being parsed correctly or causing syntax errors. To avoid this problem, ensure that short_open_tag is set to the appropriate value in the php.ini file.

// Ensure short_open_tag is set to the correct value in php.ini
// This code snippet checks if short_open_tag is enabled
if (ini_get(&#039;short_open_tag&#039;) != 1) {
    echo &quot;Short open tag is not enabled. Please update php.ini file.&quot;;
}