Are there any common pitfalls to avoid when developing a custom PHP solution for a project like a machine management system?

One common pitfall to avoid when developing a custom PHP solution for a project like a machine management system is not properly sanitizing user input. Failing to sanitize input can leave your application vulnerable to SQL injection attacks and other security risks. To mitigate this risk, always use prepared statements or parameterized queries when interacting with a database.

// Example of using prepared statements to sanitize user input
$stmt = $pdo->prepare('SELECT * FROM machines WHERE id = :id');
$stmt->bindParam(':id', $_GET['machine_id']);
$stmt->execute();
$result = $stmt->fetch();