I'm using fetchrow() as a shorthand of fetchrow_array(). I'm pretty sure that's normal usage, but I can't find it documented anywhere. So I'll use fetchrow_array() from here on.

In my example, $result is simply the return value of fetchrow_array() - I.e. a single row of data with a single column. Note that a single query can return multiple rows of results: 

while (my ($col1,$col2) = $sth->fetchrow_array()) {
  # ...
}

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Every iteration of that while loop sets $col1 and $col2 to the first and second columns of the next result row.

Using placeholders doesn't have any direct influence on how you fetch the results. It only influences how you prepare and execute the query before reading the results.

Note that using placeholders like this splits up the process in three distinct steps:

  1. preparing the query (with the question marks as placeholder marking input values). - this gives you a statement handle.
  2. executing the query from the statement handle (where you need to supply the values for each place-holder)
  3. fetching the results of the executed query from the statement handle.
That means you can also prepare a statement only once and then re-execute it with different values (provided you save the statement-handle somewhere - or use the prepare_cached() method). This can speed up querying since the database then doesn't have to parse your query each time - but if it does depends on the implementation.

"What should it profit a man, if he should win a flame war, yet lose his cool?"

In reply to Re^4: Quick 'Quote' DBI Question by Joost
in thread Quick 'Quote' DBI Question by Trihedralguy

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