What are the potential pitfalls of using the count() function in a MySQL query for updating multiple form fields in PHP?

Using the count() function in a MySQL query for updating multiple form fields in PHP can lead to inaccurate results as it only returns the number of rows that match the specified condition, rather than the actual values of the fields. To update multiple form fields accurately, it is better to use a SELECT query to retrieve the values first, then use them in an UPDATE query.

// Retrieve values from the form fields
$field1 = $_POST['field1'];
$field2 = $_POST['field2'];

// Query to select the existing values
$selectQuery = "SELECT * FROM table_name WHERE condition";

// Execute the query
$result = mysqli_query($connection, $selectQuery);

// Fetch the row
$row = mysqli_fetch_assoc($result);

// Update the form fields with the new values
$updateQuery = "UPDATE table_name SET field1 = '$field1', field2 = '$field2' WHERE condition";

// Execute the update query
mysqli_query($connection, $updateQuery);