What are some common PHP functions, such as mssql_fetch_assoc, that can be used to fetch results from an MS SQL Server query and how can their correct usage prevent errors related to result sets containing no fields?

When fetching results from an MS SQL Server query in PHP, it is important to use functions like mssql_fetch_assoc to retrieve the data in an associative array format. This can prevent errors related to result sets containing no fields by checking if there are any rows returned before attempting to fetch data. By verifying the presence of rows, you can avoid errors that may occur when trying to access fields that do not exist.

$result = mssql_query($query);

if (mssql_num_rows($result) > 0) {
    while ($row = mssql_fetch_assoc($result)) {
        // Process the retrieved data
    }
} else {
    // Handle case where no rows were returned
}