How does the syntax error in the SQL query impact the behavior of PDO compared to mysql_* commands?

The syntax error in the SQL query will cause PDO to throw an exception, while mysql_* commands will simply fail silently. This means that PDO is more secure as it helps in identifying and fixing errors in SQL queries. To solve this issue, the SQL query should be corrected to ensure proper syntax.

// Corrected SQL query
$sql = "SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = :username";

// Prepare the statement
$stmt = $pdo->prepare($sql);

// Bind the parameter
$stmt->bindParam(':username', $username);

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