Why is it not necessary to use mysql_fetch() in this specific scenario of validating login credentials in PHP?

In this scenario of validating login credentials in PHP, it is not necessary to use mysql_fetch() because the recommended approach is to use prepared statements with parameterized queries to prevent SQL injection attacks. By using prepared statements, the input data is automatically sanitized, making it secure to use directly in the query without the need for additional fetching functions.

// Assuming $username and $password are the input values from the login form

// Establish a connection to the database
$connection = new mysqli("localhost", "username", "password", "database");

// Prepare a SQL statement with placeholders for username and password
$stmt = $connection->prepare("SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = ? AND password = ?");

// Bind the parameters to the placeholders
$stmt->bind_param("ss", $username, $password);

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

// Check if a row is returned
if ($stmt->fetch()) {
    // Valid credentials
    echo "Login successful!";
} else {
    // Invalid credentials
    echo "Invalid username or password";
}

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