How important is error handling and displaying error messages when working with databases in PHP?
Error handling and displaying error messages when working with databases in PHP is crucial for debugging and troubleshooting issues. Proper error handling helps in identifying and resolving errors quickly, ensuring the stability and security of the application. Displaying informative error messages also helps in providing feedback to users in case of any unexpected behavior.
// Set error reporting level to include all errors
error_reporting(E_ALL);
// Display errors on screen for debugging purposes
ini_set('display_errors', 1);
// Connect to database and handle connection errors
$connection = mysqli_connect("localhost", "username", "password", "database");
if (!$connection) {
die("Connection failed: " . mysqli_connect_error());
}