What potential issues can arise when not using mysql_query before fetching data in PHP?

When not using mysql_query before fetching data in PHP, the potential issue that can arise is that the query may not have been executed properly, leading to errors when trying to fetch data. To solve this issue, always make sure to execute the query using mysql_query before attempting to fetch data.

// Connect to the database
$conn = mysql_connect("localhost", "username", "password");
mysql_select_db("database_name");

// Execute the query
$query = "SELECT * FROM table_name";
$result = mysql_query($query);

// Fetch data only if the query was executed successfully
if($result){
    while($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result)){
        // Process data here
    }
} else {
    echo "Error executing query: " . mysql_error();
}

// Close the connection
mysql_close($conn);