What potential issues can arise when using count() instead of rowCount() in PHP for database queries?

Using count() instead of rowCount() in PHP for database queries can lead to inaccurate results when fetching the number of rows affected by a query, especially for SELECT statements. rowCount() is specifically designed to return the number of rows affected by a DELETE, INSERT, or UPDATE query, while count() is meant for counting elements in an array or object. To ensure accurate results, always use rowCount() when checking the number of rows affected by a query.

// Incorrect usage of count() for fetching the number of rows affected
// $result = $stmt->fetchAll();
// $num_rows = count($result);

// Correct usage of rowCount() for fetching the number of rows affected
$num_rows = $stmt->rowCount();