In this new tutorial from DevShed today, they look at a method of accessing a MySQL database that doesn't seem to be discussed as much - mysqli.

All right, I know that you're now saying that's not breaking news, since the implementation of objects is an old programming feature. However, PHP 5 has a lot more to offer when it comes to using MySQL. If you're using MySQL 4.1 and above, the good news is that PHP 5 offers a fairly comprehensive extension, called "mysqli," which allows you to interact natively with MySQL via an object-based approach, aside from taking advantage of the new functionality provided by the database server.

They start with a basic introduction of the extension, including how to perform some of the basic bits of functionality on your MySQL database - connecting, getting host information, and even performing a simple query. They then get into the "real power" behind the mysqli extension, the ability to run multiple queries and handle natively the results of those queries easily. They wrap it all up with a look at using prepared statements with this extension, showing the prepare, bind_param, and execute functions.