What is the dd() and dump() helper in Laravel?

dd() (Dump and Die) outputs a well-formatted, collapsible debug dump of one or more variables and immediately stops execution. dd($user, $posts) is essential for quick debugging. dump() does the same but does not stop execution — the script continues running after the dump. Both use Symfony's VarDumper component to format output beautifully (nested arrays, object properties, etc.). In testing, use $this->dump() to debug response data. Laravel also provides ddd() in combination with Laravel Telescope and Ray (a separate debugging tool by Spatie). For production debugging, never leave dd() in code — use Laravel's logging system (Log::info()) instead.