How can error handling and debugging techniques improve the development process in PHP?

Error handling and debugging techniques can improve the development process in PHP by helping developers identify and resolve issues more efficiently. By using error handling functions like try-catch blocks, developers can catch and handle exceptions gracefully, preventing the application from crashing. Debugging tools like var_dump() and error_log() can help developers track down bugs and understand the flow of their code better.

try {
    // Code that may throw an exception
} catch (Exception $e) {
    // Handle the exception, log it, or display a user-friendly error message
    echo "An error occurred: " . $e->getMessage();
}