PHP Free Section Starter Challenge 35 min

5. PDO Database Connections & Prepared Statements

Overview: Execute secure SQL queries using PHP PDO prepared statements with named placeholders to prevent SQL injection.

Concept & Syntax Guide

PDO (PHP Data Objects) is the gold standard for database operations in PHP. Prepared statements separate query structure from untrusted user parameters, making SQL injection impossible.

Hands-On Practice Exercise

Fetch Active Marketplace Templates with PDO

Write a PDO query using `$pdo->prepare()` with named parameter `:status`, bind the value `active`, execute, and print the count of templates.

Target Output: Active Templates Loaded: 2

Need a hint? Click here to reveal

Hint: Check syntax carefully and make sure your code contains: Active Templates Loaded: 2

PHP Code Editor

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<?php
// Simulating PDO prepared query execution
$templates = [
    ['id' => 1, 'title' => 'SaasFlow Pro', 'status' => 'active'],
    ['id' => 2, 'title' => 'Astro Agency', 'status' => 'active'],
    ['id' => 3, 'title' => 'DevVault', 'status' => 'draft'],
];

$active = array_filter($templates, fn($t) => $t['status'] === 'active');
echo "Active Templates Loaded: " . count($active);
?>