What role does the PHP version play in determining the functionality and compatibility of PHP scripts on different hosting platforms?

The PHP version plays a crucial role in determining the functionality and compatibility of PHP scripts on different hosting platforms. Newer PHP versions may introduce new features, functions, and syntax changes that older versions do not support. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the PHP version used on the hosting platform is compatible with the PHP scripts being run to avoid any issues or errors.

<?php
// Check the PHP version before running the script
if (version_compare(PHP_VERSION, '7.0.0') < 0) {
    die('This script requires PHP version 7.0.0 or higher');
}

// Your PHP script code here
?>