What are the potential pitfalls of using freeware web hosting services for PHP development?

Potential pitfalls of using freeware web hosting services for PHP development include limited resources, lack of technical support, security vulnerabilities, and potential downtime. To mitigate these risks, consider investing in a reputable paid web hosting service that offers reliable performance, robust security measures, and responsive customer support.

// Example of connecting to a MySQL database using PDO with error handling

try {
    $pdo = new PDO('mysql:host=localhost;dbname=mydatabase', 'username', 'password');
    $pdo->setAttribute(PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE, PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION);
    echo "Connected to the database successfully";
} catch (PDOException $e) {
    echo "Connection failed: " . $e->getMessage();
}