4.3. Opening a Connection

You need a method through which your PHP scripts can connect to MySQL in order to interact with the database. You can establish this connection in any of several approaches:

  • PHP's MySQL Extension

  • PHP's MySQLi Extension

  • PHP Data Objects (PDO)

Due to potential security weaknesses in the MySQL Extension, developers are strongly encouraged to use PDO or MySQLi when using MySQL 4.1.3 or later.

4.3.1. PHP's MySQL Extension

The MySQL Extension is the original extension provided by PHP that allows developers to create PHP applications that interact with MySQL databases earlier than version 4.1.3.

The MySQL Extension uses a ...

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