How can PHP developers effectively handle errors and debug database operations using functions like mysql_error()?

When handling errors and debugging database operations in PHP, developers can effectively use the mysql_error() function to retrieve detailed error messages from MySQL. This function can help identify the root cause of database-related issues and provide insights for troubleshooting. By incorporating mysql_error() in error handling routines, developers can improve the robustness and reliability of their PHP applications.

// Connect to the database
$conn = mysqli_connect("localhost", "username", "password", "database");

// Check connection
if (!$conn) {
    die("Connection failed: " . mysqli_connect_error());
}

// Perform a database operation
$query = "SELECT * FROM users";
$result = mysqli_query($conn, $query);

// Check for errors
if (!$result) {
    die("Error: " . mysqli_error($conn));
}

// Process the query result
while ($row = mysqli_fetch_assoc($result)) {
    // Handle each row
}

// Close the connection
mysqli_close($conn);