What are some best practices for handling dynamic variables in SQL queries to avoid having to constantly update queries as variables change?

When dealing with dynamic variables in SQL queries, it's best practice to use prepared statements to handle user input securely and avoid the need to constantly update queries as variables change. Prepared statements separate the SQL query from the user input, preventing SQL injection attacks and making it easier to handle dynamic variables.

// Example of using prepared statements in PHP to handle dynamic variables in SQL queries

// Assuming $conn is your database connection

// Define the SQL query with placeholders for dynamic variables
$sql = "SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = ? AND email = ?";

// Prepare the SQL statement
$stmt = $conn->prepare($sql);

// Bind the dynamic variables to the placeholders
$username = "john_doe";
$email = "john.doe@example.com";
$stmt->bind_param("ss", $username, $email);

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

// Fetch the results
$result = $stmt->get_result();

// Loop through the results
while ($row = $result->fetch_assoc()) {
    // Process the data as needed
}

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