What are some alternative methods for storing user data in PHP instead of text files?

Storing user data in text files can be inefficient and prone to errors. A more secure and scalable alternative is to use a database management system like MySQL to store user data. By using a database, you can easily query, update, and manage user information in a structured and organized manner.

// Connect to MySQL database
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "username";
$password = "password";
$dbname = "myDB";

$conn = new mysqli($servername, $username, $password, $dbname);

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

// SQL query to insert user data into the database
$sql = "INSERT INTO users (username, email, password) VALUES ('JohnDoe', 'johndoe@example.com', 'password123')";

if ($conn->query($sql) === TRUE) {
    echo "New record created successfully";
} else {
    echo "Error: " . $sql . "<br>" . $conn->error;
}

// Close the database connection
$conn->close();