What are best practices for troubleshooting PHP scripts that are not functioning properly?

Issue: When troubleshooting PHP scripts that are not functioning properly, it is essential to start by checking for syntax errors, ensuring that all variables are properly declared and initialized, and verifying that the necessary PHP extensions are installed and enabled. Code snippet:

<?php
// Check for syntax errors
error_reporting(E_ALL);
ini_set('display_errors', 1);

// Ensure variables are properly declared and initialized
$variable = "example";
echo $variable;

// Verify necessary PHP extensions are installed and enabled
if (!extension_loaded('mysqli')) {
    die('The mysqli extension is not installed or enabled.');
}

// Additional troubleshooting steps can include checking for errors in log files and using debugging tools like xdebug.
?>