How can the @ symbol affect error handling in PHP when used before a function like mysql_query?

When the @ symbol is used before a function like mysql_query in PHP, it suppresses any errors or warnings that the function may generate. This can make it difficult to troubleshoot and debug code since errors are hidden. To properly handle errors, it is recommended to remove the @ symbol and implement error handling using functions like error_reporting and error_log.

// Remove the @ symbol before mysql_query to enable error handling
$result = mysql_query($query);

// Implement error handling
if(!$result){
    error_log("Error executing query: " . mysql_error());
    // Additional error handling code here
}