What are some common pitfalls to avoid when defining parameters in PDO statements in PHP?
One common pitfall to avoid when defining parameters in PDO statements in PHP is using single quotes around the parameter placeholders in the query. This can lead to SQL injection vulnerabilities. Instead, use named parameters with colon (:) prefix and bind the values separately to ensure safe and secure parameter binding.
// Incorrect way using single quotes around parameter placeholders
$stmt = $pdo->prepare("SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = ':username'");
$stmt->bindParam(':username', $username);
$stmt->execute();
// Correct way using named parameters and binding values separately
$stmt = $pdo->prepare("SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = :username");
$stmt->bindParam(':username', $username);
$stmt->execute();