What is Object-Relational Mapping (ORM) and how can it be utilized in PHP for database interactions?

Object-Relational Mapping (ORM) is a programming technique used to convert data between incompatible type systems in object-oriented programming languages and relational databases. In PHP, ORM can be utilized to simplify database interactions by mapping database tables to classes and objects, allowing developers to work with data in an object-oriented manner.

// Example of utilizing ORM in PHP using Doctrine ORM library
require_once "vendor/autoload.php";

use Doctrine\ORM\Tools\Setup;
use Doctrine\ORM\EntityManager;

$paths = array("path/to/entities");
$isDevMode = true;

$dbParams = array(
    'driver'   => 'pdo_mysql',
    'user'     => 'root',
    'password' => 'password',
    'dbname'   => 'my_database',
);

$config = Setup::createAnnotationMetadataConfiguration($paths, $isDevMode);
$entityManager = EntityManager::create($dbParams, $config);

// Now you can use $entityManager to interact with your database using ORM