Executing Prepared Statements with execute()

The execute() method is the final and crucial step when working with prepared statements. Once you prepare the statement using prepare() and bind any parameters with bindValue or bindParam, you call execute() to instruct the database to execute the command. The method returns true on success or false on failure. Additionally, it allows you to pass parameters directly as an array, which often shortens the code.

EXAMPLE

<?php
class Database {
    private $server = "localhost";
    private $username = "root";
    private $password = "";
    private $db_name = "pdo_db";
    public $connection;

    public function __construct() {
        try {
            // Added charset=utf8mb4 for character support
            $dsn = "mysql:host=" . $this->server . ";dbname=" . $this->db_name . ";charset=utf8mb4";
            $this->connection = new PDO($dsn, $this->username, $this->password);
            $this->connection->setAttribute(PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE, PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION);
        } catch(PDOException $e) {
            die("Connection failed: " . $e->getMessage());
        }
    }

    public function updateEmail($id, $new_email) {
        $sql = "UPDATE users SET email = :email WHERE id = :id";
        $statement = $this->connection->prepare($sql);

        // Execute the statement and pass parameters inside the array at the same time
        return $statement->execute([
            ':email' => $new_email,
            ':id' => $id
        ]);
    }
}

// PART 3: Usage
$db = new Database();

if ($db->updateEmail(1, 'new.email@example.com')) {
    echo "Data was successfully updated with the execute() method!";
}
?>

RESULT

The result will be displayed here...

Practical Application: We use the execute method for every query that includes variables to ensure maximum security against SQL injections. Check the process at home by following these steps:

Start the Apache and MySQL modules in the XAMPP control panel.
Ensure via phpMyAdmin that the users table exists within the pdo_db database.
The method returns a boolean value; if it returns false, you can check the details using errorInfo().
Insert the example below into your PHP file and check if the user was successfully updated.