mysqli and PDO difference?

[codeMtim]

Can anyone provide a simple example or point me to a beginner-friendly tutorial on how to connect to a MySQL database using PHP, and then perform CRUD operations? I've heard about mysqli and PDO, but I'm not sure which one to use or what the differences are between them.

 

[Rolan1]

both mysqli (MySQL Improved) and PDO (PHP Data Objects) are popular choices, and each has its own advantages.

mysqli:

1. Designed specifically for MySQL databases.
2. Provides both a procedural and object-oriented API.
3. Supports prepared statements for preventing SQL injection.
4. Allows more advanced MySQL-specific features, like asynchronous queries.

PDO:

1. Database-agnostic, meaning you can use it with different databases (e.g., PostgreSQL, SQLite) by changing the connection string.
2. Offers a consistent object-oriented API across different databases.
3. Supports prepared statements for preventing SQL injection.
4. Easier to switch to another database system if needed.

In general, if you're working exclusively with MySQL and want to take advantage of advanced MySQL features, mysqli might be the better choice. However, if you plan to work with multiple database systems or want a more consistent API, PDO is recommended.

Here's a simple example of connecting to a MySQL database using both mysqli and PDO:


Using mysqli:

<?php 
$servername = "localhost"; 
$username = "username"; 
$password = "password"; 
$dbname = "database_name"; 
$conn = new mysqli($servername, $username, $password, $dbname); 
if ($conn->connect_error) {    
    die("Connection failed: " . $conn->connect_error); 
} 
echo "Connected successfully"; 
$conn->close(); 
?>

Using PDO:

<?php 
$servername = "localhost"; 
$username = "username";
$password = "password"; 
$dbname = "database_name"; 
try {    
    $conn = new PDO("mysql:host=$servername;dbname=$dbname", $username, $password);    
    $conn->setAttribute(PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE, PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION);    
    echo "Connected successfully"; } catch(PDOException $e) {    
        echo "Connection failed: " . $e->getMessage();
    } 
$conn = null; 
?>

 

[Zombo]

mysqli is a PHP extension designed specifically for MySQL database. PDO is a database-agnostic extension with a consistent object-oriented API, allowing you to work with various databases by changing the connection string. In simpler terms, PDO is a tool in PHP that can work with different types of databases, not just MySQL, and it uses a uniform, easy-to-understand approach for interacting with those databases.