When should objects be considered over functions for file handling in PHP?

Objects should be considered over functions for file handling in PHP when you need to encapsulate file-related operations and properties into a single entity. Objects allow for better organization, reusability, and maintainability of code, especially when dealing with complex file handling tasks. By creating a file handling class with methods to read, write, and manipulate files, you can easily manage file operations in a more structured and object-oriented way.

<?php

class FileHandler {
    private $filename;

    public function __construct($filename) {
        $this->filename = $filename;
    }

    public function readFile() {
        return file_get_contents($this->filename);
    }

    public function writeFile($data) {
        file_put_contents($this->filename, $data);
    }

    // Add more file handling methods as needed
}

// Example of using the FileHandler class
$file = new FileHandler('example.txt');
$fileData = $file->readFile();
echo $fileData;

$file->writeFile("Hello, World!");