What are the best practices for handling database column names in SQL queries in PHP to avoid errors like missing column names?

When writing SQL queries in PHP, it is important to handle database column names carefully to avoid errors like missing column names. One way to prevent this issue is by using aliases for column names in the SELECT statement. By assigning aliases to column names, you can ensure that the correct column names are referenced in your PHP code, reducing the likelihood of errors.

// Example of using aliases for column names in a SQL query
$query = "SELECT first_name AS fname, last_name AS lname FROM users";
$result = mysqli_query($connection, $query);

if ($result) {
    while ($row = mysqli_fetch_assoc($result)) {
        echo $row['fname'] . " " . $row['lname'] . "<br>";
    }
} else {
    echo "Error: " . mysqli_error($connection);
}