What are some best practices for defining and using variables in PDO statements in PHP to avoid syntax errors and ensure proper functionality?

When defining and using variables in PDO statements in PHP, it is important to properly bind the variables to the query to avoid syntax errors and ensure proper functionality. One common mistake is not using placeholders in the query and directly concatenating variables, which can lead to SQL injection vulnerabilities. To avoid this, always use placeholders in the query and bind the variables using the bindParam or bindValue method.

// Define the variable to be used in the query
$user_id = 1;

// Prepare the SQL query with a placeholder
$stmt = $pdo->prepare("SELECT * FROM users WHERE id = :user_id");

// Bind the variable to the placeholder
$stmt->bindParam(':user_id', $user_id, PDO::PARAM_INT);

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

// Fetch the results
$results = $stmt->fetchAll(PDO::FETCH_ASSOC);