What is the correct way to define the path for file operations in PHP when working with server file systems?

When working with server file systems in PHP, it is important to correctly define the path for file operations to ensure that the script can access the desired files. One common mistake is not using the correct path format, which can lead to errors or inability to access files. To solve this issue, it is recommended to use the `__DIR__` magic constant to get the absolute path of the current script and then concatenate it with the relative path to the desired file.

// Define the relative path to the file
$filePath = 'files/example.txt';

// Get the absolute path of the current script
$absolutePath = __DIR__ . '/' . $filePath;

// Use the absolute path for file operations
$fileContents = file_get_contents($absolutePath);

// Perform file operations using the correct path
// For example, output the file contents
echo $fileContents;