8.1 MySQL Database

What is MySQL?

• MySQL is a database system used on the web
• MySQL is a database system that runs on a server
• MySQL is ideal for both small and large applications
• MySQL is very fast, reliable, and easy to use
• MySQL uses standard SQL
• MySQL compiles on a number of platforms
• MySQL is free to download and use
• MySQL is developed, distributed, and supported by Oracle Corporation
• MySQL is named after co-founder Monty Widenius's daughter: My
  • The data in a MySQL database are stored in tables. A table is a collection of related data, and it consists of columns and rows.
  • Databases are useful for storing information categorically. A company may have a database with the following tables:
• Employees
• Products
• Customers
• Orders

PHP + MySQL Database System

• PHP combined with MySQL are cross-platform (you can develop in Windows and serve on a Unix platform)

Database Queries

• A query is a question or a request.
• We can query a database for specific information and have a recordset returned.
• Look at the following query (using standard SQL):

SELECT LastName FROM Employees

The query above selects all the data in the "LastName" column from the "Employees" table.

Download MySQL Database

If you don't have a PHP server with a MySQL Database, you can download it for free here: http://www.mysql.com

Facts About MySQL Database

• MySQL is the de-facto standard database system for web sites with HUGE volumes of both data and end-users (like Facebook, Twitter, and Wikipedia).
• Another great thing about MySQL is that it can be scaled down to support embedded database applications.
• Look at http://www.mysql.com/customers/ for an overview of companies using MySQL.