What are the best practices for handling database IDs and user visibility in PHP-generated tables?

When displaying database IDs in PHP-generated tables, it's important to consider user visibility and security. To prevent users from seeing sensitive IDs, it's best to use a separate column for display purposes while keeping the actual ID hidden. One way to achieve this is by using a unique identifier like a UUID for display and storing the actual database ID in a hidden input field. 

<table>
    <tr>
        <th>Display ID</th>
        <th>Other Data</th>
    </tr>
    <?php
    // Assuming $rows is an array of database records
    foreach ($rows as $row) {
        echo "<tr>";
        echo "<td>" . $row['display_id'] . "</td>";
        echo "<td>" . $row['other_data'] . "</td>";
        echo "<input type='hidden' name='actual_id' value='" . $row['actual_id'] . "'>";
        echo "</tr>";
    }
    ?>
</table>

Keywords

database IDs user visibility PHP-generated tables security SQL injection

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