What is the correct way to retrieve the result of a count(*) query in PHP?

When retrieving the result of a count(*) query in PHP, you should fetch the result using a fetch function such as fetch_assoc() or fetch_row(). This will allow you to access the count value stored in the result set. Make sure to handle any potential errors or exceptions that may occur during the retrieval process.

// Assuming $conn is your database connection object

$query = "SELECT COUNT(*) as total FROM your_table";
$result = $conn->query($query);

if ($result) {
    $row = $result->fetch_assoc();
    $count = $row['total'];
    echo "Total count: " . $count;
} else {
    echo "Error retrieving count: " . $conn->error;
}