Final answer:
In PHP, die() and exit() functions essentially perform the same action by terminating the script execution. Die() can also output an error message before exiting, whereas exit() is typically used to end the script with a status code if specified. They can be used interchangeably for most purposes.
Step-by-step explanation:
In PHP, the die() function and the exit() function are often used interchangeably to terminate the script execution. When called without any parameters, they both stop the execution of the script immediately.
However, there is a subtle difference between die() and exit(), not in functionality but in usage. The die() function is equivalent to exit but it was originally designed as an alias for convenience when handling error conditions. It can be used to output an error message before exiting the script.
For example:
- exit(0); // No message, just ends the script with a status code.
- die('Error!'); // Outputs the message 'Error!' and then ends the script.
For all practical purposes, they can be considered the same in PHP and it's a matter of personal preference which one you use in your code.