In what situations should prepared statements be used in PHP database queries?

Prepared statements should be used in PHP database queries whenever user input is involved to prevent SQL injection attacks. Prepared statements separate the SQL query from the user input, making it impossible for malicious input to alter the query structure. This ensures the security and integrity of the database. 

// Using prepared statements to prevent SQL injection

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

// Prepare a SQL query with a placeholder for user input
$stmt = $pdo->prepare('SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = :username');

// Bind the user input to the placeholder
$stmt->bindParam(':username', $_POST['username']);

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

// Fetch the results
$results = $stmt->fetchAll();

Keywords

prepared statements PHP database queries security SQL injection

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