How can developers ensure that they are using the correct table and column names in mysqli queries to avoid errors like "Unknown column"?

To ensure that developers are using the correct table and column names in mysqli queries to avoid errors like "Unknown column", they should double-check the spelling and casing of the table and column names. Developers can also use backticks (`) around table and column names to avoid conflicts with reserved keywords. Additionally, developers should use prepared statements to prevent SQL injection attacks and ensure the query is properly formatted.

<?php
// Connect to the database
$mysqli = new mysqli("localhost", "username", "password", "database");

// Prepare the query with placeholders
$query = $mysqli->prepare("SELECT column_name FROM table_name WHERE column_name = ?");

// Bind parameters and execute the query
$search_term = "value";
$query->bind_param("s", $search_term);
$query->execute();

// Get the results
$result = $query->get_result();

// Fetch data
while ($row = $result->fetch_assoc()) {
    echo $row['column_name'] . "<br>";
}

// Close the query and database connection
$query->close();
$mysqli->close();
?>