What potential pitfalls or errors can occur when updating data in a MySQL table using PHP, as shown in the code snippet provided?

One potential pitfall when updating data in a MySQL table using PHP is not properly sanitizing user input, which can lead to SQL injection attacks. To prevent this, it's important to use prepared statements with placeholders for user input. This helps to separate the SQL query from the user input, making it safer and more secure.

// Using prepared statements to update data in a MySQL table

// Assume $conn is the MySQL database connection

// Sanitize user input
$id = $_POST['id'];
$newValue = $_POST['new_value'];

// Prepare the SQL statement using placeholders
$stmt = $conn->prepare("UPDATE table_name SET column_name = ? WHERE id = ?");

// Bind the parameters
$stmt->bind_param("si", $newValue, $id);

// Execute the statement
$stmt->execute();

// Close the statement and connection
$stmt->close();
$conn->close();