When it comes to modern web development, choosing the right PHP framework can significantly boost your development workflow. Frameworks streamline repetitive tasks, enhance code organization, and promote best practices. Here’s a list of the top 10 PHP frameworks worth considering:

1. Laravel - Known for its elegant syntax and robust features, Laravel is perfect for developing scalable web applications.
2. Symfony - A highly customizable framework that promotes reusable components, Symfony is ideal for large-scale enterprise projects.
3. CodeIgniter - With a small footprint and straightforward setup, CodeIgniter is perfect for developers looking for simplicity without sacrificing performance.
4. Yii - Excellent for high-performance applications, Yii also supports caching and AJAX, making it a great choice for complex projects.
5. Zend Framework - With a focus on performance and security, Zend is perfect for building robust and secure web applications.

Continuing with our review of the top PHP frameworks, here are the remaining five options:

6. Phalcon - Known for its speed, Phalcon is a unique framework that is delivered as a C extension, making it incredibly fast.
7. FuelPHP - This flexible and robust framework supports the HMVC architecture, making it a fitting choice for modular applications.
8. CakePHP - With its built-in code generation and scaffolding functionalities, CakePHP enables rapid application development.
9. Yii 2 - An improved version of Yii, it comes with powerful features that enhance web application development, especially for RESTful APIs.
10. Slim - A micro-framework that is perfect for small applications and APIs, Slim is lightweight and easy to use.

Optimizing your PHP code for performance is essential to ensure your web applications run smoothly and efficiently. Start by profiling your code to identify bottlenecks. Tools like Xdebug or Blackfire can help pinpoint sections of your code that consume excessive resources. Consider caching frequently accessed data using methods such as file caching, or memory caching with Redis or Memcached. This will reduce the number of times your application needs to fetch data from the database, significantly improving load times.

Another effective technique is to minimize the use of heavy operations within your PHP scripts. For instance, avoid using functions that are resource-intensive, such as nested loops or extensive database queries in each request. Instead, utilize prepared statements and batch your database operations to enhance performance. Additionally, always keep your PHP version updated, as newer versions come with optimizations and features that can greatly improve execution speeds.

Many new PHP developers fall into common pitfalls that can hinder their performance and the functionality of their applications. One major mistake is not sanitizing user input, which can lead to security vulnerabilities such as SQL injection or cross-site scripting (XSS). To avoid this, always use built-in PHP functions like htmlspecialchars() and prepared statements with PDO or MySQLi. Additionally, developers often neglect error handling. Instead of displaying errors directly to users, it's crucial to log them and provide user-friendly messages. This not only enhances user experience but also keeps sensitive information hidden from potential attackers.

Another frequent error is ignoring the importance of code organization and documentation. Many new programmers write PHP scripts as monolithic files, making them difficult to maintain and debug. To counter this, utilize functions and classes to encapsulate functionality and follow a clear naming convention for variables and functions. Embracing a framework like Laravel or Symfony can also help enforce best practices and structure your code effectively. Finally, many developers overlook the importance of version control. Using Git can help track changes, collaborate with others, and revert to previous versions if necessary. By incorporating these strategies, new PHP developers can significantly improve the quality and security of their code.