How can a PHP beginner ensure proper error handling when executing shell commands on a server?

When executing shell commands in PHP, it's important to ensure proper error handling to catch any issues that may arise during the execution. One way to do this is by using functions like `exec()` or `shell_exec()` and checking their return values for errors. Additionally, using functions like `error_log()` can help log any errors that occur during command execution. 

$command = 'ls -l'; // Example shell command

$output = shell_exec($command);

if ($output === null) {
    // Handle error, log it, or display a message to the user
    error_log('Error executing command: ' . $command);
} else {
    // Process the output of the command
    echo $output;
}

Keywords

PHP error handling shell commands server execution

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