What debugging steps can be taken to identify the root cause of the issue in the PHP code?

Issue: The PHP code is throwing a syntax error, indicating that there is a problem with the syntax of the code. To identify the root cause of the syntax error in the PHP code, you can start by carefully reviewing the error message provided by PHP. Look for any typos, missing or misplaced characters, unclosed parentheses, brackets, or quotes. Check for any missing semicolons at the end of statements. Use a code editor with syntax highlighting to help identify any syntax errors visually.

// Example PHP code snippet with a syntax error
<?php
$name = "John"
echo "Hello, $name!";
?>
```

In this example, the syntax error is a missing semicolon at the end of the `$name` assignment statement. To fix the issue, simply add a semicolon at the end of the line:

```php
<?php
$name = "John";
echo "Hello, $name!";
?>