What is the difference between the assignment operator "=" and the comparison operator "==" in PHP, and why is it important to understand this distinction?

The assignment operator "=" is used to assign a value to a variable, while the comparison operator "==" is used to compare two values. It is important to understand this distinction because using the wrong operator can lead to unexpected results in your code. To avoid confusion, always use "=" when assigning values to variables and "==" when comparing values.

// Incorrect usage of assignment operator "=" instead of comparison operator "=="
$number = 5;
if($number = 10) {
    echo "Number is 10";
} else {
    echo "Number is not 10";
}

// Corrected code using comparison operator "=="
$number = 5;
if($number == 10) {
    echo "Number is 10";
} else {
    echo "Number is not 10";
}