PHP Data Object

Introduction to PHP Data Object

PHP Data Object/Objects is an extension that can define the consistent, lightest interface in order to access the databases in PHP programming language. Every database driver which can implement the PHP Data Object’s interface in order to expose the database-specific features like the regular extension function/functions. In order to perform any type of database functions using the PHP Data, Object function is by itself.

Why do we need the PHP Data Object?

PHP Data Object/Objects (PDO/PDO’s) are the PHP Programming Language’s extension which helps to access and also works with the databases. PDO (PHP Data Object) is the best and similar in any type of aspects when compared with the MySQL and it is better to work with all of the below following reasons:

• PDO is the best and better in giving protection against hackers when we see from any aspects.
• PDO ( PHP Data Object ) is one of the most consistent across many databases that can work with the MySQL language and as well as with all the other types of databases like (SQLite, PostgreSQL, Oracle language, etc.)
• PDO is an object-oriented at its core.

In the PDO, we will find 4 basic functions mainly in order to perform/manipulate/modify the functions with the database. They are insertion, selection, update and also deletion. These functions which help are really intended to work with MySQL in order to switch it easily with the other databases. PDO is mainly a database accessing layer in order to provide a uniform method of access to many/multiple databases.

Benefits of PDO

It will allow the process of switching the databases and also be fairly simply by switching in many instances. PDO is not at all accounts for the database-specific syntax but it provides the capability of switching the database to perform easy methods to complete the data tasks in order to switch the connection strings in many situations/instances. Using a PDO-drive which is database-specific you can have access to the database server/servers. It provides data access – abstraction layer which means you can use the same type of functions in order to issue the queries to fetch the data so easily. It doesn’t require the rewrite of SQL or the emulating missing features.

It ships with the PHP 5.1 Programming Language Version and is simply available with the PECL extension for the smaller programming language versions like PHP 5.0 etc.. PHP Data Object requires some OO features of the PHP 5 version. PDO will not run with the early versions of the PHP language.

PDO will be recommended instead of mysql_connect() and mysql_query usage. PDO’s are easy to learn and easy to use with the OOP( Object Oriented Programming) Language Concept and the PDO are totally robust in nature in the PHP Programming Language. It helps to interact with databases so easily than other database controlling programming stuff.

Working of PDO

Prepared statements will help by allowing you to put the markers inside of the query using PDO:: prepare(), To pass the variable using PDO:: execute() will be used into the query. It will enhance security a lot which has no possibility of most of the attracts like SQL injection etc.

PDO provides only 3 ways in order to handle/modify/manage most of your errors. They are: PDO::ERRMODE_SILENT, PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION and PDO::ERRMODE_WARNING. These 3 methods are very much helpful/useful in order to develop using PHP Data OBJECT (PDO).

Advantages of PDO

The PDO (PHP Data Object/Objects) extension defines a simple and lightweight interface in order to access the databases in the PHP Programming Language and it has many advantages. Some of the object’s advantages are:

• Usability: This means that it(PDO) contains so many helper functions that can automate the routine operation/operations.
• Security: It provides the best security against the hacking which employs most of the usable prepared statements.
• Reusability: PDO (PHP Data Object) is a unifies API that can access the database multitudes.
• It offers the best and the unified PHP interface which can access many different types of databases.
• PDO can abstract the most basic operations if not it will have to be repeated many times/ multiple times and this feature declines the huge work burden.
• “Prepared statements” fn. will allow you to put the markers into the query using some commands.
• Object-Oriented Usage with the help of PDO.
• Binds the parameters in the statements for better security.
• For many RDBMS systems/brands, only one API is enough.
• PDO will provide the best catchable exceptions for handling the errors so well for the better quality.
• For consistency PDO will allow some prepared statements and for the rollback functionality.

Database supported by PHP Data Object

It will support any database which is written for it in the driver. Check out the PDO Driver and the databases which will support by PHP Data Object in the below content. All of this PDO drivers may not be necessarily available on your pc/system.

• FreeTDS / Sybase / Microsoft SQL Server DATABASES with ( PDO_DBLIB Driver).
• Interbase 6 / Firebird database with (PDO_FIREBIRD DRIVER).
• IBM DB2 DATABASE with (PDO_IBM).
• IBM Informix Dynamic Server Database (PDO_INFORMIX driver).
• MySQL 5.x/ 4.x/ 3.x database (PDO_MYSQL driver).
• Oracle Call Interface database (PDO_OCI driver).
• ODBC V3 database/ IDBM DB , Win32 ODBC , UnixODBC databases with (PDO_ODBC).
• PostgreSQL database with (PDO_PGSQL driver).
• SQLite 2 database, SQLite 3 database with PDO_SQLITE driver.
• 4D database with PDO_4D driver.

You can check which drivers you have in your pc/system using the command/ programming statement in PHP language. It is “print_r(PDO::getAvailableDrivers());”. Just like the programming language, different types of databases have different types of connecting methods to handle the data/master data.

Recommended Articles

This is a guide to PHP Data Object. Here we discuss the basic concept and why do we need PHP Data Object, along with benefits and advantages. You can also go through our other suggested articles to learn more –

1. PHP Array Search
2. PHP Encryption
3. PHP Write File
4. PHP Type Hinting