What is the purpose of using aliases in SQL queries?

Aliases in SQL queries are used to give a table, column, or expression a temporary name within a query. This can make queries more readable and concise, especially when dealing with complex joins or calculations. Aliases can also be used to avoid naming conflicts when multiple tables or columns have the same name.

// Example SQL query using aliases
$query = "SELECT u.id AS user_id, u.name AS user_name, p.title AS post_title
          FROM users u
          JOIN posts p ON u.id = p.user_id
          WHERE u.status = 'active'";