How can PHP developers effectively handle errors and debug their code without altering the original script, as discussed in the forum thread?

PHP developers can effectively handle errors and debug their code without altering the original script by using error handling techniques such as try-catch blocks and error logging. By wrapping potentially problematic code in a try block and catching any exceptions in a catch block, developers can gracefully handle errors without disrupting the flow of the script. Additionally, logging errors to a file or database can provide valuable information for debugging purposes without modifying the original code.

try {
    // Potentially problematic code here
} catch (Exception $e) {
    // Handle the error, such as logging it to a file
    error_log($e->getMessage(), 3, "error.log");
}