Where should configuration files be stored and how can they be integrated into PHP projects?

Configuration files should be stored outside of the web root directory to prevent unauthorized access. They can be integrated into PHP projects by including them in the code using the `require_once` or `include_once` functions.

<?php

// Define the path to the configuration file
$configFile = '/path/to/config.php';

// Include the configuration file
require_once $configFile;

// Now you can access configuration variables defined in config.php
echo $configVariable;

?>