MySQL is an open source relational database management system (RDBMS) based on Structured Query Language (SQL). MySQL, which was developed and managed by Swedish company MySQL AB, is now owned by Oracle Corporation.
History
MySQL was originally developed in 1995 by a Swedish company called MySQL AB. The company was founded by David Axmark, Allan Larsson and Michael "Monty" Widenius. The name "MySQL" comes from the combination of "My", the name of Widenius' daughter, and "SQL", which stands for structured query language.
These are some of the most relevant dates of its evolution:
- 2001: MySQL AB releases MySQL 3.23. This release introduced several significant improvements, including support for join queries.
- 2005: MySQL 5.0 released. This release introduced triggers, views, and stored procedures, as well as improved support for transactions.
- 2008: Sun Microsystems acquires MySQL AB, becoming the owner of MySQL.
- 2009: Oracle Corporation acquires Sun Microsystems, and with it the rights to MySQL.
- 2010: Oracle releases MySQL 5.5, which introduced improved performance and scalability, and improved support for replication.
- 2013: MySQL 5.6 was released, which introduced support for full-text indexing in InnoDB, subquery optimization, and replication improvements.
- 2018: Oracle releases MySQL 8.0, the current version as of September 2021. New features include invisible indexes, improvements to JSON, and the default utf8mb4 character set.
Features
MySQL is famous for its flexibility and ease of use. Some of its most prominent features include:
- Portability: MySQL runs on many platforms, including Linux, UNIX, and Windows.
- Security: MySQL has a number of security features, including data encryption and user authentication.
- Performance: MySQL is optimized for fast and reliable performance, even in data-intensive applications.
Advantages of MySQL
Among the advantages of using MySQL, are:
- Open source: MySQL is open source software, which means users can modify and customize the code to meet their specific needs.
- Ease of use: MySQL is known for its ease of use. Many users find MySQL easier to install, use, and maintain than other database systems.
- Support for programming languages: MySQL supports many programming languages, including PHP, Perl, C, C++, Java, and Python.
Disadvantages of MySQL
Despite its many advantages, MySQL also has some disadvantages:
- Lack of support for FULL JOIN: MySQL does not support FULL JOIN in its SQL statements, which can be a limitation for some applications.
- Performance under heavy loads: Although MySQL can handle applications with large volumes of data, it can have performance issues under extremely high workloads.
Examples of software that use MySQL
MySQL is a database management system widely used in the development of a wide variety of applications and software systems. Here are some notable examples:
- WordPress: It is an open source content management system (CMS) widely used for the creation of websites and blogs. WordPress uses MySQL to store and retrieve all site data, including post content, user data, and site settings.
- Drupal: Another popular CMS that uses MySQL to manage and store all site data. Drupal offers great flexibility and power, and is used by a wide range of websites, from personal blogs to corporate sites and news portals.
- Joomla: This CMS also uses MySQL to handle the data. Joomla is known for its flexibility and powerful template engine.
- phpBB: It is an open source forum system that uses MySQL to store all forum data, including posts, user profiles, and settings.
- Magento: An open source e-commerce platform that uses MySQL to manage all aspects of an online store, including the product catalog, customer orders, and customer data.
- Wikipedia: The world's largest online encyclopedia uses MySQL to manage and store all its articles and related data.
- Flickr: This popular photo-sharing site uses MySQL to store information about images, users, and interactions.
These are just a few examples of the wide variety of applications and websites that use MySQL to manage their databases.
