What is the significance of using ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE in PHP database operations?

When performing database operations in PHP, using ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE is significant because it allows you to handle situations where a duplicate key violation occurs. Instead of throwing an error, this clause updates the existing row with the new values if a duplicate key is found. This can help prevent data loss and ensure smooth operation of your database queries.

// Example code snippet using ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE in a MySQL query
$sql = "INSERT INTO table_name (column1, column2) VALUES ('value1', 'value2') 
        ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE column2 = 'new_value'";
$result = mysqli_query($conn, $sql);
if ($result) {
    echo "Record inserted or updated successfully";
} else {
    echo "Error: " . $sql . "<br>" . mysqli_error($conn);
}