What are the benefits of storing image data in a database versus directly accessing image files in PHP?

Storing image data in a database can provide better organization, easier access control, and improved data integrity compared to directly accessing image files in PHP. It allows for efficient querying and retrieval of images, simplifies backup and recovery processes, and ensures that images are securely stored alongside other related data.

// Example of storing image data in a database using PDO

// Connect to database
$pdo = new PDO('mysql:host=localhost;dbname=images_db', 'username', 'password');

// Prepare SQL statement
$stmt = $pdo->prepare('INSERT INTO images (image_name, image_data) VALUES (:image_name, :image_data)');

// Bind parameters
$stmt->bindParam(':image_name', $image_name);
$stmt->bindParam(':image_data', $image_data, PDO::PARAM_LOB);

// Read image file
$image_name = 'example.jpg';
$image_data = file_get_contents('path/to/example.jpg');

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