Top 10 Time-Saving PHP Snippets for Developers

As developers, saving time without compromising code quality is essential. Below are 10 practical PHP snippets that you can plug and play in your projects to make your development process more efficient.

1. Database Connection (MySQL with PDO)

Effortlessly connect to a MySQL database with this snippet:

try {
    $pdo = new PDO('mysql:host=localhost;dbname=testdb', 'root', 'password');
    $pdo->setAttribute(PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE, PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION);
    echo "Connected successfully!";
} catch (PDOException $e) {
    echo "Connection failed: " . $e->getMessage();
}

2. Form Input Validation

Validate user inputs to prevent invalid data:

function validateInput($input) {
    return htmlspecialchars(strip_tags(trim($input)));
}

// Usage
$name = validateInput($_POST['name'] ?? '');
$email = validateInput($_POST['email'] ?? '');

3. File Upload Handler

Handle file uploads securely with ease:

if ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] == 'POST' && isset($_FILES['file'])) {
    $uploadDir = 'uploads/';
    $filePath = $uploadDir . basename($_FILES['file']['name']);

    if (move_uploaded_file($_FILES['file']['tmp_name'], $filePath)) {
        echo "File uploaded successfully!";
    } else {
        echo "File upload failed.";
    }
}

4. JSON Response Helper

Send JSON responses from your PHP scripts:

function jsonResponse($data, $statusCode = 200) {
    header('Content-Type: application/json');
    http_response_code($statusCode);
    echo json_encode($data);
    exit;
}

// Usage
jsonResponse(['status' => 'success', 'message' => 'Data processed']);

5. Redirect to Another Page

Redirect users to a different URL:
function redirect($url) {
    header("Location: $url");
    exit;
}

// Usage
redirect('https://example.com');

6. Generate Random Strings

Create unique random strings for tokens or IDs:

function generateRandomString($length = 16) {
    return bin2hex(random_bytes($length / 2));
}

// Usage
$token = generateRandomString(32);

7. Pagination Logic

Simplify data pagination:

function paginate($totalItems, $perPage = 10, $currentPage = 1) {
    $totalPages = ceil($totalItems / $perPage);
    $start = ($currentPage - 1) * $perPage;
    return ['start' => $start, 'limit' => $perPage, 'totalPages' => $totalPages];
}

// Usage
$pagination = paginate(100, 10, 2); // Total 100 items, page 2

7. Email Validation

Quickly validate email formats:

function isValidEmail($email) {
    return filter_var($email, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL);
}

// Usage
if (isValidEmail('test@example.com')) {
    echo "Valid email!";
} else {
    echo "Invalid email.";
}

9. Prevent SQL Injection

Securely execute prepared statements:

$stmt = $pdo->prepare("SELECT * FROM users WHERE email = :email");
$stmt->execute(['email' => 'user@example.com']);
$user = $stmt->fetch();

10. Sanitize URL Parameters

Prevent malicious data in URLs:

function sanitizeUrlParam($param) {
    return filter_var($param, FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING);
}

// Usage
$id = sanitizeUrlParam($_GET['id'] ?? '');

These snippets are designed to address everyday development challenges, ensuring secure and efficient PHP code.

Which one will you use in your next project? Let me know in the comments below!

For more useful tips and tutorials, check out See Coding!.