What best practices should be followed when writing PHP code to avoid errors like the one mentioned in the thread?

The issue mentioned in the thread is related to using a single equal sign (=) for assignment instead of a double equal sign (==) for comparison in an if statement. To avoid such errors, always pay close attention to the syntax and use the correct operators for assignment and comparison in PHP code.

// Incorrect code that leads to the mentioned error
$number = 10;
if($number = 5) {
    echo "Number is 5";
}

// Corrected code using the double equal sign for comparison
$number = 10;
if($number == 5) {
    echo "Number is 5";
}