Why is it recommended to switch from using the deprecated mysql extension to mysqli or PDO in PHP for database operations?

The mysql extension in PHP is deprecated and no longer maintained, making it vulnerable to security risks and compatibility issues with newer versions of PHP. It is recommended to switch to either the mysqli extension or PDO for database operations as they offer improved security features, support for prepared statements, and better overall performance.

// Using mysqli extension
$mysqli = new mysqli("localhost", "username", "password", "database");

if ($mysqli->connect_error) {
    die("Connection failed: " . $mysqli->connect_error);
}

// Using PDO
$pdo = new PDO("mysql:host=localhost;dbname=database", "username", "password");

if (!$pdo) {
    die("Connection failed");
}