What best practices should PHP developers follow to troubleshoot and resolve issues related to file access permissions and SAFE MODE restrictions on shared hosting environments like Strato?

When dealing with file access permissions and SAFE MODE restrictions on shared hosting environments like Strato, PHP developers should ensure that files and directories have the correct permissions set, typically 644 for files and 755 for directories. Additionally, developers should avoid using functions that are restricted by SAFE MODE, such as exec() or system(), and instead use alternative methods like the PHP Filesystem functions.

// Set correct permissions for files and directories
chmod("/path/to/file.txt", 0644);
chmod("/path/to/directory", 0755);