What is the significance of using parameter markers in PHP when preparing SQL statements?

Using parameter markers in PHP when preparing SQL statements is significant because it helps prevent SQL injection attacks by separating the SQL query logic from the user input data. By using parameter markers, the user input is treated as data rather than executable SQL code, making it safer and more secure. This practice also improves performance by allowing the database to optimize query execution plans. 

// Example of using parameter markers in PHP when preparing SQL statements
$pdo = new PDO('mysql:host=localhost;dbname=mydatabase', 'username', 'password');

$stmt = $pdo->prepare('SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = :username');
$stmt->bindParam(':username', $username, PDO::PARAM_STR);
$stmt->execute();

// Fetch results
$results = $stmt->fetchAll(PDO::FETCH_ASSOC);

Keywords

PHP parameter markers SQL statements security prepared statements

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