In PHP programming, what are the key considerations for maintaining data integrity and security when dealing with user inputs and database interactions?

When dealing with user inputs and database interactions in PHP programming, key considerations for maintaining data integrity and security include validating user inputs to prevent SQL injection attacks, using parameterized queries to avoid SQL injection vulnerabilities, and implementing proper error handling to prevent sensitive information leakage.

// Validate user input to prevent SQL injection
$username = mysqli_real_escape_string($conn, $_POST['username']);
$password = mysqli_real_escape_string($conn, $_POST['password']);

// Use parameterized queries to avoid SQL injection vulnerabilities
$stmt = $conn->prepare("SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = ? AND password = ?");
$stmt->bind_param("ss", $username, $password);
$stmt->execute();
$result = $stmt->get_result();

// Implement proper error handling to prevent sensitive information leakage
if($result->num_rows > 0){
    // User authenticated
} else {
    // Invalid credentials
}