What alternative methods, such as PDO, can be used instead of mysql_* functions for database connectivity in PHP?
The mysql_* functions in PHP are deprecated and insecure, so it is recommended to use PDO (PHP Data Objects) or mysqli functions for database connectivity. PDO is a more secure and flexible option that supports multiple database drivers.
// Using PDO for database connectivity in PHP
try {
$pdo = new PDO('mysql:host=localhost;dbname=database_name', 'username', 'password');
$pdo->setAttribute(PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE, PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION);
} catch (PDOException $e) {
echo "Connection failed: " . $e->getMessage();
}