How can PHP beginners troubleshoot and resolve errors that result in a blank white screen output, especially when dealing with special characters?

When encountering a blank white screen output in PHP, especially when dealing with special characters, beginners can troubleshoot and resolve the issue by checking for syntax errors, ensuring proper encoding, and using error reporting functions like error_reporting(E_ALL) to display any hidden errors. Additionally, sanitizing input data and using htmlspecialchars() function can help prevent special characters from causing display issues.

<?php
error_reporting(E_ALL);

// Ensure proper encoding
header('Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8');

// Sanitize input data
$input = "<script>alert('Hello!');</script>";
$sanitized_input = htmlspecialchars($input);

echo $sanitized_input;
?>