Are there any alternative methods or functions that can be used to improve the efficiency of joining tables in PHP?

When joining tables in PHP, using the correct SQL query is crucial for efficient data retrieval. One way to improve efficiency is to utilize indexes on the columns being joined, as this can significantly speed up the query execution. Additionally, using INNER JOIN instead of other types of joins like LEFT JOIN or OUTER JOIN can also help improve efficiency by only returning matching rows from both tables.

// Example of joining tables in PHP using indexes and INNER JOIN for efficiency
$query = "SELECT * FROM table1 
          INNER JOIN table2 ON table1.id = table2.table1_id
          WHERE table1.column = 'value'";

// Execute the query and fetch the results
$result = mysqli_query($connection, $query);
if ($result) {
    while ($row = mysqli_fetch_assoc($result)) {
        // Process the data
    }
} else {
    echo "Error executing query: " . mysqli_error($connection);
}