Is it best practice to use MySQL databases instead of text files for storing server information in PHP scripts?

It is generally best practice to use MySQL databases instead of text files for storing server information in PHP scripts. Databases provide better data organization, querying capabilities, and security features compared to text files. Using databases also allows for easier scalability and maintenance of the server information.

// Connect to MySQL database
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "username";
$password = "password";
$dbname = "database";
$conn = new mysqli($servername, $username, $password, $dbname);

// Check connection
if ($conn->connect_error) {
    die("Connection failed: " . $conn->connect_error);
}

// Query database for server information
$sql = "SELECT * FROM server_info";
$result = $conn->query($sql);

if ($result->num_rows > 0) {
    // Output data of each row
    while($row = $result->fetch_assoc()) {
        echo "Server Name: " . $row["server_name"]. " - IP Address: " . $row["ip_address"]. "<br>";
    }
} else {
    echo "0 results";
}

$conn->close();