What are some best practices for handling MySQL queries and fetching results in PHP to ensure efficient and accurate data retrieval?

When handling MySQL queries and fetching results in PHP, it is important to use prepared statements to prevent SQL injection attacks and ensure data integrity. Additionally, fetching only the necessary data fields and using LIMIT clauses can improve query performance and reduce server load. Lastly, closing database connections after querying can help free up resources and prevent memory leaks.

// Example code snippet for handling MySQL queries and fetching results in PHP

// Establish a database connection
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "username";
$password = "password";
$dbname = "database";

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

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

// Prepare and execute a SQL query using prepared statements
$stmt = $conn->prepare("SELECT id, name FROM users WHERE id = ?");
$stmt->bind_param("i", $id);

$id = 1;
$stmt->execute();

// Bind result variables
$stmt->bind_result($userId, $userName);

// Fetch and display results
while ($stmt->fetch()) {
    echo "User ID: " . $userId . " - Name: " . $userName . "<br>";
}

// Close statement and connection
$stmt->close();
$conn->close();