How can PHP variables be properly inserted into SQL queries to avoid errors?

When inserting PHP variables into SQL queries, it is crucial to use prepared statements to avoid SQL injection attacks and syntax errors. Prepared statements separate SQL logic from user input, ensuring that variables are properly escaped and sanitized before being executed. This can be achieved using PDO or MySQLi in PHP.

// Using PDO to insert PHP variables into SQL queries safely
$pdo = new PDO("mysql:host=localhost;dbname=mydatabase", "username", "password");

$name = $_POST['name'];
$email = $_POST['email'];

$stmt = $pdo->prepare("INSERT INTO users (name, email) VALUES (:name, :email)");
$stmt->bindParam(':name', $name);
$stmt->bindParam(':email', $email);
$stmt->execute();