What alternative extensions or methods can be used in PHP to handle input processing more effectively?

When handling input processing in PHP, one alternative extension that can be used is the filter extension. This extension provides functions for filtering and validating input data, making it easier to sanitize and validate user input. Additionally, using prepared statements with PDO can help prevent SQL injection attacks by separating SQL logic from user input.

// Example using filter extension for input validation
$input = $_POST['input'];
if (filter_var($input, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL)) {
    echo "Input is a valid email address";
} else {
    echo "Input is not a valid email address";
}

// Example using prepared statements with PDO
$pdo = new PDO('mysql:host=localhost;dbname=mydb', 'username', 'password');
$stmt = $pdo->prepare('SELECT * FROM users WHERE email = :email');
$email = $_POST['email'];
$stmt->bindParam(':email', $email);
$stmt->execute();
$results = $stmt->fetchAll();
foreach ($results as $row) {
    // Process results
}