PHP MySQL Connection Tutorial: Step-by-Step Guide

PHP offers multiple methods to connect to a MySQL database, each with its own features and use cases. Below are the primary methods for connecting PHP to MySQL:

MySQLi extension (the "i" stands for improved)
PDO (PHP Data Objects)

1. MySQLi (MySQL Improved Extension)

MySQLi is a modern, improved extension for working with MySQL databases in PHP. It supports both procedural and object-oriented approaches.

Example - Procedural Style

<?php

$host = "localhost";

$username = "root";

$password = "";

$dbname = "my_database";

// Create connection

$conn = mysqli_connect($host, $username, $password, $dbname);

// Check connection

if (!$conn) {

die("Connection failed: " . mysqli_connect_error());

}

echo "Connected successfully";

mysqli_close($conn);

Example - Object-Oriented Style

<!DOCTYPE html>

<html>

<head>

<title>Page Title</title>

</head>

<body>

<h1>This is a Heading</h1>

<p>This is a paragraph.</p>

</body>

</html>

Advantages of MySQLi:

Offers both procedural and object-oriented styles.
Allows multiple statements in a single query.

2. PDO (PHP Data Objects)

PDO is a database abstraction layer that supports multiple database types (not just MySQL). It's a great choice if your project might need to switch between databases in the future.

Example