How can var_dump be used to identify errors in PHP code?

Var_dump can be used to identify errors in PHP code by displaying the data type and value of variables, allowing you to see exactly what is being stored in a variable at a specific point in your code. This can help you identify unexpected values or data types that may be causing errors in your code. Example:

// Example code with potential error
$number = "10";
$result = $number * 2;
var_dump($result);
```

In this example, if you run var_dump($result), you will see that $result is a string instead of an integer, which may be causing unexpected behavior in your code. To fix this issue, you can explicitly cast $number to an integer before performing the multiplication operation.

```php
// Fixing the error by casting the variable to integer
$number = "10";
$number = (int)$number;
$result = $number * 2;
var_dump($result);