How important is it to refer to the PHP documentation when encountering issues with variable initialization and string parsing?

When encountering issues with variable initialization and string parsing in PHP, it is crucial to refer to the PHP documentation for proper syntax and usage guidelines. The documentation provides detailed explanations and examples that can help troubleshoot and resolve any problems efficiently.

// Initializing a variable
$variable = '';

// Parsing a string
$string = 'Hello, world!';
$substring = substr($string, 0, 5);
echo $substring; // Output: Hello