MySQL is a relational database management system (RDBMS) that organizes data into tables and establishes relationships between those tables. It was originally developed by MySQL AB and is now part of Oracle.
Features
- RelationalData is stored in linked tables.
- SQLQueries and data manipulation are carried out via the Structured Query Language (SQL).
- Open source: MySQL is available for free and customizable; there is also a commercial version with additional features.
- Platform independentMySQL runs on Windows, Linux and macOS.
- Powerful and scalableSuitable for small applications as well as for large amounts of data.
Application areas
MySQL is often used in web applications together with languages such as PHP or Python, used in e-commerce for product data, user accounts and orders and forms the database basis of many content management systems such as WordPress, Joomla and Drupal. In companies, MySQL is also used for internal applications, reports and data analyses.
Advantages and disadvantages
MySQL is user-friendly and relatively easy to learn, has a large community and offers reliable security mechanisms. However, for very complex queries or particularly large amounts of data, it can reach performance limits; some advanced functions are further developed in other database systems such as PostgreSQL.