How can debugging tools improve the accessibility and usability of PHP applications?

1 Error reporting

Error reporting is a basic but essential feature that allows you to display or log errors and warnings that occur in your PHP code. You can configure the level and location of error reporting in your php.ini file or by using the error_reporting() and ini_set() functions. Error reporting can help you identify syntax, logic, or runtime errors in your code and provide you with useful information, such as the file name, line number, and error message. However, you should avoid displaying errors on your production site, as it can expose sensitive information and compromise your security.

2 Debugging functions

PHP provides several built-in functions that can assist in debugging code. For example, var_dump() prints the type and value of one or more variables, along with their length and structure if they are arrays or objects. Additionally, print_r() prints the value of one or more variables in a human-readable format. Moreover, echo() prints one or more strings to the output, separated by commas. Furthermore, die() terminates the current script and prints a message to the output. Lastly, debug_backtrace() returns an array that contains information about the current function call stack. You can use these functions to inspect and display the values of your variables or expressions at different points in your code to understand how they affect the output or behavior of your application.

3 Debugging extensions

Debugging extensions are external tools that extend the functionality of PHP by providing additional features, such as breakpoints, step-by-step execution, watch expressions, call stack, and variable inspection. By using debugging extensions, you can debug your code more efficiently and interactively. You can pause, resume, and modify the execution of your code and inspect the state of your application at any time. Popular debugging extensions for PHP include Xdebug, Zend Debugger, and DBG. To use these extensions, you must install and configure them on your server and your IDE or editor, as well as establish a connection between them. Once you have done this, you can set breakpoints, run, pause, and step through your code while inspecting and modifying variables, expressions, and data structures in your application.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?