What methods can be used to troubleshoot and debug PHP code effectively?

To troubleshoot and debug PHP code effectively, you can use methods such as error reporting, logging, and using debugging tools like Xdebug. Error reporting can help identify syntax errors and runtime errors in your code. Logging allows you to track the flow of your code and see what values variables hold at different points. Xdebug is a powerful tool that provides features like stack traces, profiling, and remote debugging to help pinpoint issues in your code.

// Enable error reporting to display any syntax errors or runtime errors
error_reporting(E_ALL);
ini_set('display_errors', 1);

// Use logging to track the flow of your code and debug variable values
file_put_contents('log.txt', 'Variable value: ' . $variable . PHP_EOL, FILE_APPEND);

// Utilize Xdebug for advanced debugging features like stack traces and profiling
// Install Xdebug extension and configure it in your PHP settings