How can separating user input from $_GET['k'] into a separate variable improve the security and efficiency of MySQL queries in PHP?

Separating user input from $_GET['k'] into a separate variable improves security by allowing for proper sanitization and validation of the input before using it in MySQL queries. This helps prevent SQL injection attacks and ensures that only safe and expected values are passed to the database. Additionally, separating user input into a separate variable can improve the efficiency of MySQL queries by reducing the complexity of the query building process and making it easier to manage and maintain.

// Get user input from $_GET['k']
$userInput = $_GET['k'];

// Sanitize and validate the user input
$cleanInput = filter_var($userInput, FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING);

// Use the sanitized input in MySQL queries
$query = "SELECT * FROM table WHERE column = '$cleanInput'";
$result = mysqli_query($connection, $query);