When should Sanitization-Filter functions like filter_input and filter_var be used in PHP?

Sanitization-Filter functions like filter_input and filter_var should be used in PHP when you want to validate and sanitize user input to prevent security vulnerabilities such as SQL injection or cross-site scripting attacks. These functions help ensure that the input data is in the expected format and type, making it safer to use in your application.

// Example of using filter_var to sanitize user input
$email = filter_var($_POST['email'], FILTER_SANITIZE_EMAIL);
if(filter_var($email, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL)){
    // Email is valid, proceed with using it
} else {
    // Invalid email, handle error
}