What considerations should be taken into account when optimizing PHP code for better performance, especially in terms of handling line breaks and white spaces?

When optimizing PHP code for better performance, it's important to minimize unnecessary line breaks and white spaces in order to reduce file size and improve loading times. This can be achieved by removing extra spaces, tabs, and line breaks from the code.

<?php
// Original code with unnecessary line breaks and white spaces
function add_numbers($a, $b) {

    return $a + $b;

}

// Optimized code with minimized white spaces and line breaks
function add_numbers($a, $b) {
    return $a + $b;
}
?>