What are the potential risks of mixing different types of database connection functions (e.g., mysql_* and mysqli_*) in PHP code, and how can these risks be mitigated?

Mixing different types of database connection functions in PHP code can lead to inconsistency in the codebase, making it harder to maintain and debug. It can also introduce security vulnerabilities if not handled properly. To mitigate these risks, it is recommended to use a consistent database connection method throughout the codebase, such as mysqli or PDO.

// Example of using mysqli for database connection
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "username";
$password = "password";
$dbname = "database";

// Create connection
$conn = new mysqli($servername, $username, $password, $dbname);

// Check connection
if ($conn->connect_error) {
    die("Connection failed: " . $conn->connect_error);
}