How can PHP functions be effectively utilized for database queries?

To effectively utilize PHP functions for database queries, you can use functions like mysqli_query() or PDO prepared statements to interact with the database. These functions help prevent SQL injection attacks and provide a secure way to execute queries. Additionally, using functions like mysqli_fetch_assoc() or PDO fetch methods can help retrieve data from the database result set.

// Example using mysqli_query() to execute a query
$conn = mysqli_connect("localhost", "username", "password", "database");

$query = "SELECT * FROM users";
$result = mysqli_query($conn, $query);

if(mysqli_num_rows($result) > 0){
    while($row = mysqli_fetch_assoc($result)){
        echo "ID: " . $row['id'] . " - Name: " . $row['name'] . "<br>";
    }
} else {
    echo "No results found";
}

mysqli_close($conn);