What steps should be taken to compare user input with database entries in PHP?

When comparing user input with database entries in PHP, you should first sanitize the user input to prevent SQL injection attacks. Then, query the database to retrieve the relevant entry based on the user input. Finally, compare the user input with the database entry to determine if they match.

// Sanitize user input
$user_input = mysqli_real_escape_string($connection, $_POST['user_input']);

// Query the database
$query = "SELECT * FROM table_name WHERE column_name = '$user_input'";
$result = mysqli_query($connection, $query);

// Compare user input with database entry
if(mysqli_num_rows($result) > 0) {
    // User input matches database entry
    echo "User input matches a database entry.";
} else {
    // User input does not match any database entry
    echo "User input does not match any database entry.";
}