What is the purpose of using "or die(mysql_error())" after a MySQL connection in PHP?

When connecting to a MySQL database in PHP, adding "or die(mysql_error())" after the connection statement helps to handle errors that may occur during the connection process. This code snippet will display any MySQL errors that occur, making it easier to troubleshoot and fix connection issues. 

<?php
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "username";
$password = "password";
$dbname = "database";

// Create connection
$conn = mysqli_connect($servername, $username, $password, $dbname) or die(mysql_error());

// Check connection
if (!$conn) {
    die("Connection failed: " . mysqli_connect_error());
}
echo "Connected successfully";
?>

Keywords

PHP MySQL error handling die() mysql_error()

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