I am new to the world of PHP.
Q1. In ASP.NET there was a server side file I could include that would store the connection string rather then storing it in the actual page code, is there an equivalent (or better practice) for PHP?

Q2. I am designing the MySQL database and want to control/test the inputs.. in ASP.NET I would add a AddStudent function with alll the fields for parameters then audit the data before committing it. Is there an equivalent (or better practice) for PHP?

Thanks!