What best practices should beginners follow when working with file extensions and image file manipulation in PHP scripts?

When working with file extensions and image file manipulation in PHP scripts, beginners should always validate file extensions to ensure security and prevent potential vulnerabilities. Additionally, beginners should use PHP functions like `imagecreatefromjpeg()` or `imagecreatefrompng()` to manipulate image files safely and efficiently.

// Example of validating file extension before processing an uploaded image file
$allowed_extensions = array('jpg', 'jpeg', 'png');
$uploaded_file_extension = pathinfo($_FILES['uploaded_image']['name'], PATHINFO_EXTENSION);

if (!in_array($uploaded_file_extension, $allowed_extensions)) {
    die('Invalid file extension. Only JPG, JPEG, and PNG files are allowed.');
}

// Example of using imagecreatefromjpeg() to manipulate a JPEG image file
$jpeg_image = imagecreatefromjpeg('uploaded_image.jpg');

// Example of using imagecreatefrompng() to manipulate a PNG image file
$png_image = imagecreatefrompng('uploaded_image.png');