How can the process of fetching and outputting data from a database be optimized in PHP to avoid performance issues or endless loops?

To optimize the process of fetching and outputting data from a database in PHP, you can use prepared statements to prevent SQL injection attacks and improve performance. Additionally, you can limit the amount of data retrieved by using pagination techniques to avoid overwhelming the server with large queries. Finally, ensure that you properly close the database connection after fetching the data to prevent memory leaks and improve efficiency.

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

// Prepare a SQL query with a placeholder for dynamic input
$stmt = $pdo->prepare("SELECT * FROM mytable WHERE column = :value");

// Bind a value to the placeholder
$value = 'example';
$stmt->bindParam(':value', $value);

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

// Fetch and output the data
while ($row = $stmt->fetch(PDO::FETCH_ASSOC)) {
    echo $row['column1'] . ' - ' . $row['column2'] . '<br>';
}

// Close the database connection
$pdo = null;