What is the importance of having form elements within the form tags for PHP form processing?

When processing a form using PHP, it is important to have form elements within the form tags so that PHP can access the values submitted by the user. Without form elements, there would be no data for PHP to process. Therefore, ensuring that form elements are properly nested within the form tags is crucial for successful form processing.

<form method="post" action="process_form.php">
    <input type="text" name="username">
    <input type="password" name="password">
    <input type="submit" value="Submit">
</form>