How important is it to follow best practices in terms of syntax and language conventions when writing PHP code for database operations?

It is crucial to follow best practices in terms of syntax and language conventions when writing PHP code for database operations to ensure readability, maintainability, and security of the code. Consistent coding standards also make it easier for other developers to understand and work with the code in the future.

<?php

// Good practice example: Using prepared statements to prevent SQL injection
$pdo = new PDO('mysql:host=localhost;dbname=mydatabase', 'username', 'password');
$stmt = $pdo->prepare('SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = :username');
$stmt->execute(['username' => $username]);
$user = $stmt->fetch();

?>