When accessing data from multiple tables in a PHP application, what strategies can be employed to maintain code readability and efficiency?

When accessing data from multiple tables in a PHP application, one strategy to maintain code readability and efficiency is to use SQL JOIN statements to retrieve data from related tables in a single query. This helps reduce the number of queries executed and simplifies the code by consolidating data retrieval logic. Additionally, using aliases for table names and selecting only the necessary columns can further enhance readability and performance.

// Example of using SQL JOIN to retrieve data from multiple tables

$query = "SELECT users.username, orders.order_date, products.product_name
          FROM users
          JOIN orders ON users.user_id = orders.user_id
          JOIN products ON orders.product_id = products.product_id";

$result = mysqli_query($connection, $query);

if(mysqli_num_rows($result) > 0) {
    while($row = mysqli_fetch_assoc($result)) {
        // Process data here
    }
} else {
    echo "No results found.";
}