What is the significance of properly understanding variable assignment in PHP, as demonstrated in the code example provided?

Understanding variable assignment in PHP is crucial because it determines how values are stored and manipulated in your code. Properly assigning variables ensures that the correct data is stored in the right place, preventing errors and unexpected behavior. In the code example provided, the issue arises from mistakenly using the assignment operator "=" instead of the comparison operator "==" when checking for equality, leading to unintended consequences.

// Incorrect variable assignment
$number = 10;

// Correct comparison using the equality operator
if ($number == 10) {
    echo "The number is 10.";
}