How can developers avoid common pitfalls related to SQL syntax errors when writing PHP scripts for MySQL databases?

To avoid common pitfalls related to SQL syntax errors when writing PHP scripts for MySQL databases, developers should use prepared statements with parameterized queries. This helps prevent SQL injection attacks and ensures that the SQL syntax is correct, reducing the likelihood of errors.

// Establish a connection to the MySQL database
$pdo = new PDO('mysql:host=localhost;dbname=mydatabase', 'username', 'password');

// Prepare a SQL statement with a parameterized query
$stmt = $pdo->prepare('SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = :username');

// Bind the parameter value to the placeholder
$stmt->bindParam(':username', $username);

// Execute the prepared statement
$stmt->execute();

// Fetch the results
$results = $stmt->fetchAll();