How can syntax errors, such as incorrectly placed semicolons, impact the functionality of PHP code, as shown in the forum thread?

Syntax errors, such as incorrectly placed semicolons, can cause PHP code to break and not execute properly. In the forum thread, the user was experiencing issues with their code due to a semicolon being incorrectly placed, resulting in unexpected behavior. To solve this issue, it is important to carefully review the code for any syntax errors, especially with semicolons, and make sure they are correctly placed to ensure the code runs smoothly.

// Incorrectly placed semicolon causing syntax error
$variable = "Hello World";;

// Corrected code with semicolon in the right place
$variable = "Hello World";