How can PHP beginners avoid outdated functions like mysql_db_query and use more modern alternatives like mysql_query?

To avoid using outdated functions like mysql_db_query in PHP, beginners should instead use more modern alternatives like mysqli_query or PDO. These alternatives offer improved security features and better support for newer versions of PHP. By updating their code to use these modern functions, beginners can ensure their applications are more secure and future-proof.

// Using mysqli_query as a modern alternative to mysql_db_query
$connection = mysqli_connect("localhost", "username", "password", "database");
$query = "SELECT * FROM table";
$result = mysqli_query($connection, $query);

// Using PDO as another modern alternative
$dsn = "mysql:host=localhost;dbname=database";
$username = "username";
$password = "password";
$pdo = new PDO($dsn, $username, $password);
$query = "SELECT * FROM table";
$statement = $pdo->query($query);