What are some tips for effectively testing and understanding PHP functions like file_get_contents?

When testing and understanding PHP functions like file_get_contents, it's important to carefully read the documentation to understand the function's parameters and return values. Additionally, it's helpful to test the function with different inputs to ensure it behaves as expected. Using error handling techniques such as try-catch blocks can also help in identifying and handling any issues that may arise during testing.

try {
    $url = 'https://www.example.com';
    $content = file_get_contents($url);
    
    if ($content === false) {
        throw new Exception('Failed to get contents from URL');
    }
    
    echo $content;
} catch (Exception $e) {
    echo 'Error: ' . $e->getMessage();
}