How can prepared statements improve security and efficiency when working with databases in PHP?

Prepared statements can improve security and efficiency when working with databases in PHP by preventing SQL injection attacks and reducing the need for repetitive query parsing. By using placeholders for user input, prepared statements separate the SQL code from the user input, making it harder for attackers to manipulate the query. Additionally, prepared statements can be compiled once and executed multiple times with different parameters, reducing overhead and improving performance. 

// Example of using prepared statements in PHP to prevent SQL injection

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

// Prepare a SQL statement with a placeholder
$stmt = $pdo->prepare("SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = :username");

// Bind the parameter to the placeholder
$stmt->bindParam(':username', $_POST['username']);

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

// Fetch the results
$results = $stmt->fetchAll();

// Use the results as needed
foreach ($results as $row) {
    echo $row['username'] . "<br>";
}

Keywords

prepared statements security efficiency databases PHP

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