Why is it important to use curly braces in PHP conditional statements?

Using curly braces in PHP conditional statements is important for maintaining code readability and preventing potential bugs. When curly braces are omitted, only the next statement after the conditional is considered part of the block. This can lead to confusion and unintended behavior, especially when multiple statements need to be executed within the conditional block. By always using curly braces, you ensure that all statements within the block are executed as intended.

// Incorrect way without curly braces
if ($condition)
    echo "Statement 1";
    echo "Statement 2"; // This statement is not part of the conditional block

// Correct way with curly braces
if ($condition) {
    echo "Statement 1";
    echo "Statement 2"; // This statement is part of the conditional block
}