How can SQL queries be effectively used to search for specific data in PHP instead of using array functions?

When searching for specific data in PHP, using SQL queries is more efficient than using array functions as it allows for direct querying of the database. By utilizing SQL queries, you can target specific data based on conditions and retrieve only the necessary information, reducing the amount of data processing required in PHP.

// Establish a connection to the database
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "username";
$password = "password";
$dbname = "database";

$conn = new mysqli($servername, $username, $password, $dbname);

// Check connection
if ($conn->connect_error) {
    die("Connection failed: " . $conn->connect_error);
}

// SQL query to search for specific data
$sql = "SELECT * FROM table_name WHERE column_name = 'search_criteria'";
$result = $conn->query($sql);

if ($result->num_rows > 0) {
    // Output data of each row
    while($row = $result->fetch_assoc()) {
        echo "Column1: " . $row["column1"]. " - Column2: " . $row["column2"]. "<br>";
    }
} else {
    echo "0 results";
}

$conn->close();