PHP PHP MySQLi
Introduction
The mysqli interface is an improvement (it means "MySQL Improvement extension") of the mysql interface, which was deprecated in version 5.5 and is removed in version 7.0.
The mysqli extension, or as it is sometimes known, the MySQL improved extension, was developed to take advantage of new features found in MySQL systems versions 4.1.3 and newer. The mysqli extension is included with PHP versions 5 and later.
Remarks
Features
The mysqli interface has a number of benefits, the key enhancements over the mysql extension being:
- Object-oriented interface
- Support for Prepared Statements
- Support for Multiple Statements
- Support for Transactions
- Enhanced debugging capabilities
- Embedded server support
It features a dual interface: the older, procedural style and a new, object-oriented programming (OOP) style. The deprecated mysql had only a procedural interface, so the object-oriented style is often preferred. However, the new style is also favorable because of the power of OOP.
Alternatives
An alternative to the mysqli interface to access databases is the newer PHP Data Objects (PDO) interface. This features only OOP-style programming and can access more than only MySQL-type databases.
