When dealing with complex SQL queries in PHP, what considerations should be made when deciding between handling data manipulation in PHP code versus directly in the database query?

When deciding between handling data manipulation in PHP code versus directly in the database query, consider factors such as performance, scalability, security, and maintainability. Generally, complex data manipulation tasks are more efficiently handled by the database query due to its optimized processing capabilities. However, if the manipulation requires complex logic or involves data from multiple sources, it may be more suitable to handle it in PHP code.

// Example of handling data manipulation in PHP code
// Connect to the database
$conn = new mysqli($servername, $username, $password, $dbname);

// Perform a query to fetch data
$sql = "SELECT * FROM users WHERE age > 18";
$result = $conn->query($sql);

// Process the fetched data in PHP code
if ($result->num_rows > 0) {
    while($row = $result->fetch_assoc()) {
        // Perform data manipulation tasks here
    }
}

// Close the database connection
$conn->close();