How can developers ensure that their PHP code is using up-to-date and secure methods for interacting with MySQL databases?

Developers can ensure their PHP code is using up-to-date and secure methods for interacting with MySQL databases by using parameterized queries with prepared statements. This helps prevent SQL injection attacks and ensures data is properly sanitized before being executed in the database.

// Establish a connection to the MySQL database
$mysqli = new mysqli("localhost", "username", "password", "database");

// Check for connection errors
if ($mysqli->connect_error) {
    die("Connection failed: " . $mysqli->connect_error);
}

// Prepare a statement with a parameterized query
$stmt = $mysqli->prepare("SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = ?");
$stmt->bind_param("s", $username);

// Set the parameter values and execute the query
$username = "john_doe";
$stmt->execute();

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

// Process the results
while ($row = $result->fetch_assoc()) {
    // Do something with the data
}

// Close the statement and connection
$stmt->close();
$mysqli->close();