What role does specifying the database play in resolving connection issues when accessing a MySQL database in PHP?

Specifying the database in the connection settings is crucial when accessing a MySQL database in PHP because it ensures that the PHP script connects to the correct database. If the database is not specified or is incorrect, the connection will fail, resulting in connection issues. To resolve this problem, make sure to specify the correct database name in the connection settings.

$servername = "localhost";
$username = "root";
$password = "";
$database = "my_database";

// Create connection
$conn = new mysqli($servername, $username, $password, $database);

// Check connection
if ($conn->connect_error) {
    die("Connection failed: " . $conn->connect_error);
}
echo "Connected successfully";