What are the potential pitfalls of using PHP with MySQL for database searches?

One potential pitfall of using PHP with MySQL for database searches is the risk of SQL injection attacks if user input is not properly sanitized. To prevent this, always use prepared statements with parameterized queries to securely interact with the database.

// Example of using prepared statements to prevent SQL injection

// Establish a connection to the database
$mysqli = new mysqli("localhost", "username", "password", "database");

// Prepare a statement with a parameterized query
$stmt = $mysqli->prepare("SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = ?");
$stmt->bind_param("s", $username);

// Set the username variable and execute the query
$username = $_POST['username'];
$stmt->execute();

// Process the results
$result = $stmt->get_result();
while ($row = $result->fetch_assoc()) {
    // Do something with the data
}

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