Is Manual Error Checking for `mysqli_connect()` Necessary?

Should Manual Error Checking Be Performed for mysqli_connect()?

The PHP manual for mysqli_connect() recommends manually verifying the return value and displaying error messages on the screen. However, there are concerns raised as to whether this practice is necessary or beneficial.

Manual Error Checking

The manual's suggested manual error checking involves:

• Checking the return value of mysqli_connect() and handling errors with echo statements:

  if (!$link) {
    echo "Error: Unable to connect to MySQL." . PHP_EOL;
    echo "Debugging errno: " . mysqli_connect_errno() . PHP_EOL;
    echo "Debugging error: " . mysqli_connect_error() . PHP_EOL;
    exit;
  }

Drawbacks of Manual Error Checking

• Duplication of Error Messages: As demonstrated in the example in the question, manual error checking can result in duplicate error messages, with the manual "debugging" providing less information than the automatic warning.

Alternatives to Manual Error Checking

Instead of manual error checking, it is recommended to:

• Configure PHP to Display Warnings and Errors: Ensure that PHP is configured with "error_reporting" set to E_ALL and "display_errors" set to Off in the production environment. This will display errors in the error log file on the server.
• Throw Exceptions: Use mysqli_report() to configure mysqli to throw exceptions for connection failures. This will stop script execution when a connection cannot be established.
• Check Connection-Related Errors Using mysqli_connect_error() and mysqli_connect_errno(): These functions can be used to obtain connection error information without performing manual error checking.

Conclusion

Manual error checking for mysqli_connect() connections is generally unnecessary and has potential drawbacks. Instead, it is recommended to use automated error reporting and exception handling for a more reliable and efficient approach to connection error management.

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