Should htmlentities() be used in SQL queries to prevent injection attacks?

Using htmlentities() in SQL queries is not the correct method to prevent injection attacks. Instead, you should use prepared statements with parameterized queries to securely interact with the database. This method separates the SQL query logic from the user input, preventing malicious SQL injection attacks.

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

// Prepare a SQL statement with a parameterized query
$stmt = $pdo->prepare("SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = :username");

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

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

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