How can PHP beginners effectively utilize the UPDATE command to modify existing data in a MySQL database?

To effectively utilize the UPDATE command in PHP to modify existing data in a MySQL database, beginners should ensure they have a connection to the database established using mysqli or PDO. They should construct a SQL query with the necessary UPDATE command, specifying the table, columns, and values to be updated. Finally, execute the query using the appropriate PHP function to make the desired changes to the database.

<?php
// Establish a connection to the MySQL database
$connection = new mysqli('localhost', 'username', 'password', 'database_name');

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

// Construct the SQL query to update data in the database
$sql = "UPDATE table_name SET column1 = 'new_value1', column2 = 'new_value2' WHERE condition";

// Execute the query
if ($connection->query($sql) === TRUE) {
    echo "Record updated successfully";
} else {
    echo "Error updating record: " . $connection->error;
}

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