Why is it recommended to separate PHP logic from HTML output in web development, and how can this principle be applied to the given code snippet?
Separating PHP logic from HTML output is recommended in web development to improve code readability, maintainability, and scalability. This separation allows for cleaner code structure, easier debugging, and the ability to easily modify the logic without affecting the presentation layer. To apply this principle to the given code snippet, we can move the PHP logic to the top of the file or into a separate PHP file, and then use PHP to echo out the necessary variables within the HTML markup.
<?php
// PHP logic
$first_name = "John";
$last_name = "Doe";
$age = 30;
// HTML output
?>
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>User Profile</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>User Profile</h1>
<p>Name: <?php echo $first_name . " " . $last_name; ?></p>
<p>Age: <?php echo $age; ?></p>
</body>
</html>