mysqlfreeresult

The mysqlfreeresult function in PHP is used to free the memory associated with a result set obtained from a MySQL database query. When you execute a query using functions like mysql_query, the database server returns a result pointer which consumes memory. To prevent memory leaks and optimize resource usage, it's good practice to release this memory once you are finished processing the results.

The mysqlfreeresult function takes the result resource as its only argument. For example, if you have a query stored in a variable called $result, you would call mysqlfreeresult($result) to free its memory. This function is particularly important in long-running scripts or when dealing with a large number of queries.

It's worth noting that the mysql_* functions are deprecated as of PHP 5.5.0 and have been removed in PHP 7.0.0. Modern PHP development should utilize the MySQLi or PDO extensions, which offer improved features and security. These newer extensions have their own methods for freeing result memory, such as mysqli_free_result() and the __destruct() method for PDO statements. While mysqlfreeresult is no longer recommended for new projects, understanding its purpose provides insight into the lifecycle of database results in older PHP applications.