What are the advantages of using prepared statements in PHP for database interactions, and how can they enhance security in input handling?

Using prepared statements in PHP for database interactions can enhance security by preventing SQL injection attacks. Prepared statements separate SQL logic from user input, allowing the database to distinguish between code and data. This prevents malicious users from injecting SQL code into input fields, protecting the database from potential attacks.

// Using prepared statements to enhance security in input handling
$pdo = new PDO("mysql:host=localhost;dbname=mydatabase", "username", "password");

$stmt = $pdo->prepare("SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = :username AND password = :password");
$stmt->bindParam(':username', $username);
$stmt->bindParam(':password', $password);

$username = $_POST['username'];
$password = $_POST['password'];

$stmt->execute();