What is the significance of using mysqli_real_connect() in PHP compared to other connection methods?

Using mysqli_real_connect() in PHP is significant because it establishes a secure connection to a MySQL database, providing protection against SQL injection attacks and other security vulnerabilities. This function also allows for more control over connection parameters and error handling compared to other connection methods.

<?php
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "username";
$password = "password";
$dbname = "database";

// Create connection
$conn = mysqli_init();
if (!$conn) {
    die("mysqli_init failed");
}

if (!mysqli_real_connect($conn, $servername, $username, $password, $dbname)) {
    die("Connect Error: " . mysqli_connect_error());
}

echo "Connected successfully";

// Perform queries here

mysqli_close($conn);
?>