What debugging techniques can be employed in PHP to identify and resolve issues related to incorrect calculations or unexpected outcomes in mathematical operations?

When facing issues with incorrect calculations or unexpected outcomes in mathematical operations in PHP, one debugging technique is to use the `var_dump()` function to inspect the values of variables involved in the calculations. This can help identify any unexpected data types or values that may be causing the issue. Additionally, using `echo` statements to output intermediate results can also aid in pinpointing where the problem lies in the code. 

// Example code snippet demonstrating the debugging technique using var_dump() and echo statements

$number1 = 10;
$number2 = 5;

// Incorrect calculation
$result = $number1 - $number2 * 2;

var_dump($result); // Inspect the value of $result

echo "Number 1: $number1<br>";
echo "Number 2: $number2<br>";
echo "Result: $result<br>";

// Correct calculation
$correct_result = $number1 - ($number2 * 2);

var_dump($correct_result); // Inspect the value of $correct_result

echo "Correct Result: $correct_result";

Keywords

debugging PHP mathematical operations error handling troubleshooting

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