title: PDO To Connect to MSSQL Over MSSQL_* Functions
body: <p>There is a range of <code>mssql_*</code> Which are not in the depreciation process.</p>
  
  <p>They work the same as <code>mysql_*</code> functions; they need to me manually escaped, please find the link to the manual below: </p>
  
  <p><a href="http://uk1.php.net/manual/en/book.mssql.php">http://uk1.php.net/manual/en/book.mssql.php</a></p>
  
  <p>MSSQL_* Functions was apart of <code>php5-mssql</code> but have now been moved into <code>php5-sybase</code></p>
  
  <p>Furthermore, using PDO for your Database Construct, is available but is <strong>experimental</strong>
  <a href="http://php.net/manual/en/ref.pdo-dblib.php">http://php.net/manual/en/ref.pdo-dblib.php</a></p>
  
  <p>But my overall question, from the fact that PDO/MySQLI is being pushed as main database communication solution, should I stop using the functions <code>mssql_*</code> </p>
  
  <p>Or is it possible for: </p>
  
  <p>PDO Connection: </p>
  
  <pre><code>$dsn = 'mssql:host=localhost;dbname=testdb';
  $user = 'dbuser';
  $password = 'dbpass';
  
  try {
      $dbh = new PDO($dsn, $user, $password);
  } catch (PDOException $e) {
      echo 'Connection failed: ' . $e-&gt;getMessage();
  }
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>But if this process is still listed as experimental, should developers using <code>Microsoft SQL Server</code> for their databases, wait till this extension is <em>stable for MSSQL Servers</em></p>
  
  <p>So at the end of the  day, PDO Extension or MSSQL_* Functions even though they are not depreciated.. If so, why?</p>