Integrating PHP with MySQL for Dynamic Web Applications

Powering Web Apps with PHP and MySQL

PHP and MySQL are a powerful combination for building dynamic web applications. This guide shows how to connect PHP to MySQL and perform basic CRUD operations.

1. Connecting to MySQL

Use PDO for secure database connections:

try {
    $pdo = new PDO("mysql:host=localhost;dbname=mydb", "username", "password");
    $pdo->setAttribute(PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE, PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION);
} catch (PDOException $e) {
    echo "Connection failed: " . $e->getMessage();
}
			

2. Creating Records

Insert data using prepared statements:

$stmt = $pdo->prepare("INSERT INTO users (name, email) VALUES (?, ?)");
$stmt->execute(["John Doe", "john@example.com"]);
			

3. Reading Data

Fetch records from the database:

$stmt = $pdo->query("SELECT * FROM users");
$users = $stmt->fetchAll(PDO::FETCH_ASSOC);
			

4. Updating and Deleting

Update or delete records with similar prepared statements for security.

Conclusion

PHP and MySQL together enable dynamic, data-driven applications. Use PDO and prepared statements to ensure security and scalability.