Can you discuss your experience with PHP debugging tools and how you've utilized them to solve development issues?

How To Approach: Associate

  1. Share your professional PHP development experience.
  2. Describe typical debugging process.
  3. Provide specific example of a debugging challenge.
  4. Detail the tools and methods utilized.

Sample Response: Associate

In my role as a PHP Developer at BravoWebSoft, I frequently encounter complex bugs and issues during the development process which mandate proficient debugging skills. A typical debugging starts with identifying the issue's severity, followed by analyzing the code using various PHP debugging tools for a deeper understanding of the problem.

One notable experience was when a live web application started returning improper results due to faulty database queries. I used Zend Debugger paired with Zend Studio for a thorough inspection of the application. By setting breakpoints and inspecting the parameters passed to the query, I found that the inconsistent data returned was due to a logic error in the data sorting algorithm. By rewriting that section and applying the unit testing practices with PHPUnit, I was able to eliminate the error and restore the application's functionality entirely.