What best practices should be followed when including files in PHP to avoid unwanted outputs?

When including files in PHP, it is important to prevent unwanted outputs by using the `require_once` or `include_once` functions instead of `require` or `include`. This ensures that the file is only included once, preventing any duplicate outputs. Additionally, using output buffering functions like `ob_start()` and `ob_end_clean()` can help capture any output generated by the included file and prevent it from being displayed on the page. 

<?php
ob_start();
require_once 'file.php';
ob_end_clean();
?>

Keywords

include require include_once require_once output buffering

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