PHP connecting to MySQL database tutorial for beginners

PHP MySQL Introduction: Getting Started with Database Programming

When you move from simple PHP pages to dynamic web applications, you need a way to store and retrieve data—like users, products, orders, or blog posts. That’s where MySQL comes in.

This tutorial introduces you to PHP + MySQL, explaining:

• What MySQL is

• Why PHP and MySQL are used together

• How to connect PHP to a MySQL database

• How to insert and fetch data with simple examples

What is MySQL?

MySQL is an open-source relational database management system (RDBMS) used to store structured data in tables.

Common use cases:

• User login & registration systems

• Blogs & CMS platforms

• E-commerce websites

• Analytics dashboards

MySQL powers popular platforms like WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, and many custom PHP applications.

Why Use PHP with MySQL?

PHP and MySQL are a classic backend combination because:

• Seamless Integration using mysqli or PDO

• Fast and reliable on all hosting environments

• Open source and widely available

• Ideal for dynamic websites that require data storage

This combination forms the core of the popular LAMP/WAMP/XAMPP stack.

Setting Up PHP and MySQL

Use one of these packages for quick setup:

• XAMPP (Windows/Mac/Linux)

• WAMP (Windows)

• MAMP (macOS)

These include:

• Apache (Web Server)

• PHP

• MySQL

• phpMyAdmin

After installation:

• Start Apache and MySQL

• Open: http://localhost/phpmyadmin

Create a Sample Database and Table

1. Open phpMyAdmin

2. Create a database: php_tutorial

3. Create a table by running this SQL:

CREATE TABLE users (
    id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
    name VARCHAR(100) NOT NULL,
    email VARCHAR(150) NOT NULL,
    created_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
);

Connecting PHP to MySQL (Using mysqli)

Create a file named db_connect.php:

<?php
$host = "localhost";
$user = "root";  // default for XAMPP
$pass = "";       // default password
$dbname = "php_tutorial";

$conn = mysqli_connect($host, $user, $pass, $dbname);

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

echo "Connected successfully!";
?>

Open this file:
http://localhost/db_connect.php

Insert Data into MySQL Using PHP

Create insert_user.php:

<?php
include "db_connect.php";

$name = "Shubham";
$email = "shubham@example.com";

$sql = "INSERT INTO users (name, email) VALUES ('$name', '$email')";

if (mysqli_query($conn, $sql)) {
    echo "User inserted successfully!";
} else {
    echo "Error: " . mysqli_error($conn);
}

mysqli_close($conn);
?>

Note: For real applications, use prepared statements to prevent SQL injection.

Fetch Data from MySQL Using PHP

Create list_users.php:

<?php
include "db_connect.php";

$sql = "SELECT id, name, email, created_at FROM users";
$result = mysqli_query($conn, $sql);

if (mysqli_num_rows($result) > 0) {
    echo "<h2>User List</h2>";

    while ($row = mysqli_fetch_assoc($result)) {
        echo "ID: " . $row['id'] . " | ";
        echo "Name: " . $row['name'] . " | ";
        echo "Email: " . $row['email'] . " | ";
        echo "Created: " . $row['created_at'] . "<br>";
    }
} else {
    echo "No users found.";
}

mysqli_close($conn);
?>

mysqli vs PDO

PHP supports two major MySQL interfaces:

For beginners → mysqli
For advanced apps → PDO

Common PHP MySQL Operations

• Insert data → INSERT INTO

• Fetch data → SELECT

• Update data → UPDATE

• Delete data → DELETE

Used in:

• Login systems

• Admin dashboards

• Product listings

• Search systems

Conclusion

PHP + MySQL is the foundation of dynamic web development. With MySQL storing data and PHP processing it, you can build login systems, blogs, e-commerce platforms, and much more.

Start with basic queries, then explore prepared statements, pagination, and CRUD applications.