What are the differences between using = and == operators in PHP, and how can they impact the functionality of conditional statements?

The "=" operator is used for assignment in PHP, meaning it assigns a value to a variable. On the other hand, "==" is a comparison operator that checks if two values are equal. Using "=" instead of "==" in conditional statements can lead to unintended consequences, as it will assign a value rather than comparing it.

// Incorrect usage of "=" instead of "=="
$number = 5;

if($number = 10){
    echo "Number is equal to 10";
} else {
    echo "Number is not equal to 10";
}

// Correct usage of "=="
$number = 5;

if($number == 10){
    echo "Number is equal to 10";
} else {
    echo "Number is not equal to 10";
}