How can one determine the correct data type for storing PDF files in a database in PHP?

To determine the correct data type for storing PDF files in a database in PHP, you can use the BLOB (Binary Large Object) data type. BLOB is suitable for storing binary data, such as PDF files, in a database. You can use the BLOB data type to store the PDF file contents directly in the database.

// Assuming you have a MySQL database connection
$pdo = new PDO("mysql:host=localhost;dbname=database_name", "username", "password");

// Prepare SQL statement to insert PDF file into database
$stmt = $pdo->prepare("INSERT INTO pdf_files (file_data) VALUES (:fileData)");

// Read the PDF file contents into a variable
$pdfData = file_get_contents('path/to/pdf_file.pdf');

// Bind the PDF file data to the SQL statement
$stmt->bindParam(':fileData', $pdfData, PDO::PARAM_LOB);

// Execute the SQL statement to insert the PDF file into the database
$stmt->execute();