Why Should I Explicitly Close MySQL Connections in PHP?

MySQL Connection Management: Closing Connections for Efficiency

The practice of closing MySQL connections is crucial to maintain optimal database performance. While it may seem that connections are automatically closed after executing a PHP script, this is not always the case.

The MySQL documentation explicitly states that the server connection remains open unless explicitly closed with the mysql_close() function. This means that if your script has significant processing to perform after retrieving results, it's essential to close the connection promptly. This prevents the MySQL server from reaching its connection limit under heavy usage.

Closing connections has a performance impact because open connections consume server resources. Keeping them open unnecessarily can lead to slowdowns and potential timeouts. In addition, closing connections explicitly ensures a clean and controlled release of resources, preventing any lingering processes that could hinder performance.

While fastcgi may introduce some complexities, it's generally recommended to use mysql_close() for all SQL functions, including mysql_connect, regardless of the PHP build. An even better practice is to utilize PDO (PHP Data Objects) for database interactions, as it provides a more robust and efficient connection handling mechanism.

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