What are common pitfalls when updating MySQL databases using PHP?

One common pitfall when updating MySQL databases using PHP is not sanitizing user input, which can lead to SQL injection attacks. To solve this issue, always use prepared statements with parameterized queries to prevent malicious input from affecting your database.

// Connect to the database
$mysqli = new mysqli("localhost", "username", "password", "database");

// Prepare a SQL statement with placeholders for user input
$stmt = $mysqli->prepare("UPDATE table SET column = ? WHERE id = ?");

// Bind parameters to the placeholders
$stmt->bind_param("si", $value, $id);

// Set the values of the parameters
$value = "new_value";
$id = 1;

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

// Close the statement and the database connection
$stmt->close();
$mysqli->close();