How can PHP developers ensure the security of their code when dealing with user-generated content in databases?

To ensure the security of their code when dealing with user-generated content in databases, PHP developers should use prepared statements with parameterized queries to prevent SQL injection attacks. This approach separates the SQL query logic from the user input, making it impossible for malicious input to alter the query structure.

// Establish a database connection
$pdo = new PDO("mysql:host=localhost;dbname=mydatabase", "username", "password");

// Prepare a SQL statement with a parameterized query
$stmt = $pdo->prepare("INSERT INTO users (username, email) VALUES (:username, :email)");

// Bind the parameters with user input
$stmt->bindParam(':username', $username);
$stmt->bindParam(':email', $email);

// Execute the statement
$stmt->execute();