What are the best practices for handling statistical data in PHP applications, especially when dealing with complex queries and result manipulation?

When handling statistical data in PHP applications, especially when dealing with complex queries and result manipulation, it is important to use prepared statements to prevent SQL injection attacks and ensure data integrity. Additionally, using functions like mysqli_fetch_assoc() or mysqli_fetch_array() can help in retrieving and manipulating query results efficiently. Lastly, consider using libraries like PDO for database operations to simplify the code and improve maintainability.

// Example of using prepared statements with mysqli
$mysqli = new mysqli("localhost", "username", "password", "database");

if ($mysqli->connect_error) {
    die("Connection failed: " . $mysqli->connect_error);
}

$stmt = $mysqli->prepare("SELECT * FROM table WHERE column = ?");
$stmt->bind_param("s", $value);
$value = "example";
$stmt->execute();
$result = $stmt->get_result();

while ($row = $result->fetch_assoc()) {
    // Manipulate query results here
}

$stmt->close();
$mysqli->close();