How can the mysql_insert_id() function be utilized effectively in PHP scripts for database operations?

When performing database operations in PHP using MySQL, it is important to retrieve the last inserted ID to use in subsequent queries or for other purposes. The `mysql_insert_id()` function can be utilized effectively to retrieve the ID of the last inserted record in a database table. This can be useful when you need to link related data or perform additional operations based on the newly inserted record.

// Connect to the database
$conn = mysqli_connect("localhost", "username", "password", "database");

// Insert a new record into a table
$query = "INSERT INTO table_name (column1, column2) VALUES ('value1', 'value2')";
mysqli_query($conn, $query);

// Get the ID of the last inserted record
$last_inserted_id = mysqli_insert_id($conn);

// Use the last inserted ID for further operations
echo "The ID of the last inserted record is: " . $last_inserted_id;