How can PHP developers effectively troubleshoot and debug issues related to accessing files on external servers within their code?

When troubleshooting and debugging issues related to accessing files on external servers in PHP code, developers can start by checking the file paths, permissions, and network connectivity. They can use functions like file_exists() and is_readable() to verify if the file can be accessed. Additionally, using error handling techniques like try-catch blocks can help identify and handle any exceptions that may occur during file access.

try {
    $file = 'http://www.example.com/file.txt';
    
    if (file_exists($file) && is_readable($file)) {
        $content = file_get_contents($file);
        echo $content;
    } else {
        throw new Exception('Unable to access file.');
    }
} catch (Exception $e) {
    echo 'Error: ' . $e->getMessage();
}