# mysqli_prepare

# mysqli->prepare()

(PHP 5)

mysqli->prepare() — Prepare a SQL statement for execution

### Description

Procedure style:

mysqli_stmt mysqli_prepare ( mysqli `$link` , string `$query` )

Object oriented style (method)

mysqli
mysqli_stmt prepare ( string `$query` )

Prepares the SQL query pointed to by the null-terminated string query, and returns a statement handle to be used for further operations on the statement. The query must consist of a single SQL statement.

The parameter markers must be bound to application variables using mysqli_stmt_bind_param() and/or mysqli_stmt_bind_result() before executing the statement or fetching rows.

### Parameters

`link`

  Procedural style only: A link identifier returned by mysqli_connect() or mysqli_init()

`query`

  The query, as a string.

  > Note: You should not add a terminating semicolon or \g to the statement.

  This parameter can include one or more parameter markers in the SQL statement by embedding question mark (?) characters at the appropriate positions.

  > Note: The markers are legal only in certain places in SQL statements. For example, they are allowed in the VALUES() list of an INSERT statement (to specify column values for a row), or in a comparison with a column in a WHERE clause to specify a comparison value.
  > However, they are not allowed for identifiers (such as table or column names), in the select list that names the columns to be returned by a SELECT statement, or to specify both operands of a binary operator such as the = equal sign. The latter restriction is necessary because it would be impossible to determine the parameter type. It's not allowed to compare marker with NULL by ? IS NULL too. In general, parameters are legal only in Data Manipulation Languange (DML) statements, and not in Data Defination Language (DDL) statements.

### Return Values

mysqli_prepare() returns a statement object or `FALSE` if an error occured.

### Examples

Example#1 Object oriented style

`<?php
$mysqli = new mysqli("localhost", "my_user", "my_password", "world");
/* check connection */
if (mysqli_connect_errno()) {
printf("Connect failed: %s\n", mysqli_connect_error());
exit();
}
$city = "Amersfoort";
/* create a prepared statement */
if ($stmt = $mysqli->prepare("SELECT District FROM City WHERE Name=?")) {
/* bind parameters for markers */
$stmt->bind_param("s", $city);
/* execute query */
$stmt->execute();
/* bind result variables */
$stmt->bind_result($district);
/* fetch value */
$stmt->fetch();
printf("%s is in district %s\n", $city, $district);
/* close statement */
$stmt->close();
}
/* close connection */
$mysqli->close();
?>`

Example#2 Procedural style

`<?php
$link = mysqli_connect("localhost", "my_user", "my_password", "world");
/* check connection */
if (mysqli_connect_errno()) {
printf("Connect failed: %s\n", mysqli_connect_error());
exit();
}
$city = "Amersfoort";
/* create a prepared statement */
if ($stmt = mysqli_prepare($link, "SELECT District FROM City WHERE Name=?")) {
/* bind parameters for markers */
mysqli_stmt_bind_param($stmt, "s", $city);
/* execute query */
mysqli_stmt_execute($stmt);
/* bind result variables */
mysqli_stmt_bind_result($stmt, $district);
/* fetch value */
mysqli_stmt_fetch($stmt);
printf("%s is in district %s\n", $city, $district);
/* close statement */
mysqli_stmt_close($stmt);
}
/* close connection */
mysqli_close($link);
?>`

The above example will output:

    Amersfoort is in district Utrecht

### See Also

- mysqli_stmt_execute()
- mysqli_stmt_fetch()
- mysqli_stmt_bind_param()
- mysqli_stmt_bind_result()
- mysqli_stmt_close()