How can error reporting be utilized in PHP to troubleshoot issues like empty variable returns?

When troubleshooting issues like empty variable returns in PHP, error reporting can be utilized to identify the source of the problem. By enabling error reporting, PHP will display warnings or errors that can help pinpoint where the issue lies, such as uninitialized variables or incorrect variable assignments.

// Enable error reporting to display warnings and errors
error_reporting(E_ALL);
ini_set('display_errors', 1);

// Example code snippet with an empty variable return issue
$var = ""; // Empty variable
echo $var; // Output: (empty)

// Troubleshoot by checking variable values and error messages
if(empty($var)){
    echo "Variable is empty";
}