How to use prepared statements in PHP to prevent SQL injection attacks?

@orpha 

Prepared statements in PHP are a useful tool to help prevent SQL injection attacks. Prepared statements work by separating the SQL query logic from the data values, which helps prevent malicious input from interfering with the intended query execution. Here's how to use prepared statements in PHP:

1. Connect to the database using PDO or mysqli.
2. Prepare the SQL statement with placeholders for the data values. For example, using PDO:

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$stmt = $pdo->prepare('SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = :username');

Here, the :username is a placeholder for the value that will be supplied later.

1. Bind the data values to the placeholders using the bindParam() or bindValue() method. For example, using PDO:

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$stmt->bindParam(':username', $username);

Here, $username is the variable containing the actual value to be used.

1. Execute the prepared statement using the execute() method. For example, using PDO:

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$stmt->execute();

This will execute the prepared statement with the bound values.

By using prepared statements, the data values are properly sanitized and escaped, which helps prevent SQL injection attacks.