How can debugging tools like var_dump be effectively used to troubleshoot PHP code and identify variable values?

To effectively use debugging tools like var_dump to troubleshoot PHP code and identify variable values, you can simply insert var_dump statements in your code at key points where you want to inspect variable values. This will display the variable type and value at that specific point in your code, helping you identify any unexpected values or bugs.

$variable1 = "Hello";
$variable2 = 123;
var_dump($variable1);
var_dump($variable2);