What is XAMPP and Why use it for PHP Database Connection?

XAMPP stands for Apache, MariaDB, PHP, and Perl. It is a software stack that provides an easy-to-install package for
developers to run web applications on their local computers. It eliminates the need to install each component
separately and makes it simple to manage the setup.

By using XAMPP, you can quickly and easily create a local development environment for your PHP projects,
including the ability to connect to a MySQL database. This makes it an ideal solution for beginners who are just
starting with PHP and database connection.

What is a PHP Database Connection?

A database connection is a link between a website and a database. This connection allows the website to access
and retrieve data from the database, making it possible to store and retrieve information such as user accounts,
blog posts, or product listings.

Why is a PHP Database Connection Important?

Having a successful database connection is essential for the functioning of a website. Without a database
connection, it is not possible to store and retrieve information, making it impossible for a website to function
properly. In addition, a successful database connection allows for the efficient and secure storage and retrieval of
sensitive information such as user accounts and passwords.

Understanding PHP Data Objects (PDO)

PHP Data Objects (PDO) is a database-agnostic extension that provides a common interface for accessing
databases. It allows developers to write code that can work with multiple databases, making it easier to switch from
one database to another if needed. PDO provides a consistent and simple interface for executing queries and
managing transactions.

Types of Databases

Before we dive into the details of connecting to a database using PHP, let's first understand the different types of
databases. There are two main types of databases:

Relational databases: These are databases that store data in tables, and the relationships between the data are
established using keys. Examples of relational databases include MySQL, Oracle, and Microsoft SQL Server.
Non-relational databases: These are databases that do not store data in tables. Instead, they use a different data
structure, such as a document, key-value, or graph. Examples of non-relational databases include MongoDB,
CouchDB, and Cassandra.
Setting up XAMPP for PHP and MySQL

Step 1: Download XAMPP

Step 2: Install XAMPP

Follow the on-screen instructions to install XAMPP on your computer

During the installation process, you will be prompted to select the components you want to install. Make sure to
select "Apache" and "MySQL"
Once the installation is complete, launch the XAMPP control panel to start the Apache and MySQL services.

Step 3: Test XAMPP

Open your web browser and navigate to http://localhost

You should see the XAMPP dashboard, which confirms that the Apache web server and MariaDB database are up
and running
To access PHPMyAdmin, the web-based database management tool, navigate to http://localhost/phpmyadmin

Connecting PHP to MySQL using XAMPP

Step 1: Create a Database in PHPMyAdmin

Log in to PHPMyAdmin using the credentials provided during the XAMPP installation
Click on the "Databases" tab and enter the name of your database in the "Create database" field
Click on the "Create" button to create your new database
Step 2: Create a PHP Script

Open a text editor and create a new PHP script

Enter the following code to establish a connection to your MySQL database (MySQLi Procedural):

<?php
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "root";
$password = "";
$dbname = "database_name";

// Create connection
$conn = mysqli_connect($servername, $username, $password, $dbname);
// Check connection
if (!$conn) {
die("Connection failed: " . mysqli_connect_error());
}
echo "Connected successfully";
?>

or

Enter the following code to establish a connection to your MySQL database (PDO):
<?php
$host = 'localhost';
$dbname = 'database_name';
$username = 'database_username';
$password = 'database_password';

try {
$pdo = new PDO("mysql:host=$host;dbname=$dbname", $username, $password);
$pdo->setAttribute(PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE, PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION);
echo 'Connected to the database successfully!';
} catch (PDOException $e) {
echo 'Error connecting to the database: ' . $e->getMessage();
}?>

Replace "database_name" with the name of your database

Save the script with a ".php" extension
Step 3: Run the PHP Script

Move the PHP script to your XAMPP "htdocs" folder (usually located in "C:\xampp\htdocs" on Windows)
Open your web browser and navigate to http://localhost/your_script_name.php
If the connection was successful, you should see the message "Connected successfully"
Verifying the PHP-MySQL Connection using XAMPP
To verify the PHP-MySQL connection, you can run a simple SQL query to retrieve data from your database.

Step 1: Modify the PHP Script

Open the PHP script you created in the previous step
Add the following code to run a simple SQL query:

<?php
// Run a SQL query
$sql = "SELECT * FROM table_name";
$result = mysqli_query($conn, $sql);

// Fetch the result data

if (mysqli_num_rows($result) > 0) {
while($row = mysqli_fetch_assoc($result)) {
echo "id: " . $row["id"]. " - Name: " . $row["name"]. "";
}
} else {
echo "0 results";
}

// Close the connection

mysqli_close($conn);
?>

Replace "table_name" with the name of your database table

Step 2: Run the PHP Script

Save the modified PHP script

Open your web browser and navigate to http://localhost/your_script_name.php

If the connection was successful, you should see the data from your database table displayed on the page.

Performing Queries using PHP and a Database Connection

Once you have established a connection to a database using PHP, you can execute SQL queries to retrieve or
modify data in the database. Here is an example of how to retrieve data from a database using PHP:

<?php

// Connection parameters
$host = "localhost";
$username = "your_username";
$password = "your_password";
$database = "your_database";

// Establishing the connection

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

// Check if the connection was successful

if (!$conn) {
die("Connection failed: " . mysqli_connect_error());
}

// SQL query to retrieve data

$sql = "SELECT * FROM users";

// Executing the query and storing the result

$result = mysqli_query($conn, $sql);

// Checking if the query was successful

if (mysqli_num_rows($result) > 0) {
// Outputting the data
while ($row = mysqli_fetch_assoc($result)) {
echo "ID: " . $row["id"] . " - Name: " . $row["name"] . "";
}
} else {
echo "0 results";
}

// Close the connection

mysqli_close($conn);

?>

In this script, we first establish a connection to the database as we did in the previous example. Then, we create an
SQL query to retrieve data from the users table. We use the mysqli_query() function to execute the query and store
the result in a variable. Finally, we use the mysqli_fetch_assoc() function to output the data, row by row.