What are some best practices for debugging PHP code, especially when encountering unexpected behavior like missing form data?

Issue: When encountering missing form data in PHP, it is important to first check if the form was submitted correctly and if the data is being properly passed to the PHP script. One common mistake is not using the correct method attribute in the form tag (e.g., using method="GET" instead of method="POST"). Additionally, ensure that the form fields have the correct name attribute and that they are being accessed properly in the PHP script. Code snippet: 

<form method="POST" action="process_form.php">
    <input type="text" name="username" placeholder="Username">
    <input type="password" name="password" placeholder="Password">
    <button type="submit">Submit</button>
</form>
```

In the PHP script (process_form.php), make sure to check if the form data is being submitted using the POST method and then access the form fields using the $_POST superglobal array:

```php
if ($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"] == "POST") {
    $username = $_POST["username"];
    $password = $_POST["password"];
    
    // Perform necessary actions with the form data
} else {
    echo "Form data not submitted correctly.";
}

Keywords

var_dump error_reporting Xdebug isset $_POST

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