What are the differences in return values between mysql_query() and PDOStatement->execute in PHP?

The main difference between mysql_query() and PDOStatement->execute in PHP is their return values. mysql_query() returns a resource for SELECT, SHOW, DESCRIBE, or EXPLAIN queries, and TRUE/FALSE for other types of queries. On the other hand, PDOStatement->execute returns a boolean value indicating whether the query was successfully executed. To handle the return values appropriately, you can check the return value of mysql_query() for resource and TRUE/FALSE, and check the return value of PDOStatement->execute for TRUE/FALSE. 

// Using mysql_query()
$result = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM users");
if($result !== false && get_resource_type($result) == 'mysql result') {
    // Process the result
} else {
    // Handle the error
}

// Using PDOStatement->execute
$stmt = $pdo->prepare("SELECT * FROM users");
if($stmt->execute()) {
    // Process the result
} else {
    // Handle the error
}

Keywords

mysql_query PDOStatement execute return values differences

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