What are the benefits of using prepared statements in PHP for MySQL queries?

Using prepared statements in PHP for MySQL queries helps prevent SQL injection attacks by separating SQL logic from user input. Prepared statements also improve performance by allowing the database to reuse query execution plans, reducing the overhead of parsing and optimizing queries. Additionally, prepared statements make it easier to work with variables and data types, as the database handles parameter binding.

// Example of using prepared statements in PHP for MySQL queries
$mysqli = new mysqli("localhost", "username", "password", "database");

// Prepare a statement
$stmt = $mysqli->prepare("SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = ?");

// Bind parameters
$stmt->bind_param("s", $username);

// Set parameters and execute
$username = "john_doe";
$stmt->execute();

// Get results
$result = $stmt->get_result();
while ($row = $result->fetch_assoc()) {
    // Process results
}

// Close statement and connection
$stmt->close();
$mysqli->close();