How can PHP developers efficiently link and retrieve data from two separate database tables in a single query?

To efficiently link and retrieve data from two separate database tables in a single query, PHP developers can use SQL JOIN statements. By specifying the columns from each table that should be linked together, developers can retrieve related data in a single query rather than making multiple queries. This approach reduces the number of database calls and improves performance.

<?php

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

// Query to retrieve data from two tables using a JOIN statement
$query = "SELECT table1.column1, table2.column2
          FROM table1
          JOIN table2 ON table1.common_column = table2.common_column";

$result = $connection->query($query);

// Fetch and output the results
while ($row = $result->fetch_assoc()) {
    echo $row['column1'] . ' - ' . $row['column2'] . '<br>';
}

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

?>