difference between mysqli_query and mysqli_real_query

mysqli::query will return a result if there is any.

mysql::real_query will return true on success or false if not

You could have seen this in the php doc:

• query,
• real_query.

Look at the documentation of mysqli_query():

Functionally, using this function is identical to calling mysqli_real_query() followed either by mysqli_use_result() or mysqli_store_result().

From what I understand real_query actually executes the query, and use/store_result initiates the process of retrieving a result set for the query. query() does both.