PDO\'s query() and execute(): Interchangeable or Distinct?

Comparing PDO's query() and execute() Methods

Question:

Are PDO's query() and execute() methods essentially interchangeable, or do they differ significantly?

Answer:

While both methods perform database queries, they have some fundamental distinctions:

query() vs execute()

• query() executes a regular SQL statement without parameterized data.
• execute() executes a prepared statement that allows you to bind parameters to prevent escaping or quoting. This method also offers performance benefits for repetitive queries.

Prepared Statement Example:

<code class="php">$sth = $dbh->prepare('SELECT name, colour, calories FROM fruit
    WHERE calories < :calories AND colour = :colour');
$sth->bindParam(':calories', $calories);
$sth->bindParam(':colour', $colour);
$sth->execute();</code>

In this case, the variables $calories and $colour do not need to be escaped or quoted since they are separated from the query.

Recommendation:

For enhanced security, it is best practice to use prepared statements with execute(). This ensures that user-supplied data is not vulnerable to SQL injection attacks.

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