If you are interested to learn about the MySQL Select Statement
MySQL is a relational database management system (RDBMS) based on the SQL (Structured Query Language) queries. It is one of the most popular languages for accessing and managing the records in the table. MySQL is open-source and free software under the GNU license. Oracle Company supports it.
Why Use MySQL?
First of all, it is an open-source and freely available database system backed by Oracle. It is easy to use, it offers both GUI (MySQL Workbench) and CLI (mysqladmin) to the user. MySQL can be distributed over the internet and data can be accessed and modified from anywhere and anytime. MySQL uses encryption technology to secure its connections. Big websites like Youtube, Twitter, Netflix, Pinterest, Amazon, Shopify, Udemy, and Airbnb are using MySQL databases.
The following are the most important features of MySQL:
Relational Database Management System (RDBMS)
MySQLis a relational database management system. This database language is based on the SQLqueries to access and manage the records of the table.
Easy to use
MySQL is easy to use. We have to get only the basic knowledge of SQL. We can build and interact with MySQL by using only a few simple SQL statements. MySQL is an easy to use and simple database system, but in terms of productivity, it is also an efficient database software and is much less complex to set up and administer. MySQL Workbench facilitates users to manage databases and layout databases using the graphical user interface.
It is secure
MySQL consists of a solid data security layer that protects sensitive data from intruders. Also, passwords are encrypted in MySQL. Just because of its efficient architecture, MySQL is faster, robust, and cheaper. Its server responds with high-performance result set in comparison to other databases without compromising with essential functions of the software. It has fast-loading utilities due to the different cache memories. MySQL makes use of Stored procedures and Triggers that allow the users to give higher performance.
Client/ Server Architecture
MySQL follows the working of a client/server architecture. MySQL is based on client-server architecture and can be accessed from anywhere as it can work on distributed networks. Every client machine can communicate to the server using an internet connection. The server processes client requests and returns the desired output back to the client machine. In MySQL, it is not necessary for the client to be on the same system as the server. Clients can send requests to remote servers using an internet connection, but the important thing is that the server should be in a running state at that time. There is a database server (MySQL) and arbitrarily many clients (application programs), which communicate with the server; that is, they can query data, save changes, etc.
Free to download
MySQL is free to use so that we can download it from MySQL official website without any cost. A stored procedure is that piece of code that programmers need, again and again, so MySQL facilitates its user to store their SQL query to promote code reusability and reduce programmers’ overhead. So if a user has SQL queries that he writes over and over again, he can just save those queries as a stored procedure, and then call it to execute that set of queries. Stored procedures can be parameterized also so that it can act based upon the parameter value(s) that is passed to them.
It is scalable
MySQL supports multi-threading that makes it easily scalable. It can handle almost any amount of data, up to as much as 50 million rows or more. The default file size limit is about 4 GB. However, we can increase this number to a theoretical limit of 8 TB of data.
Speed
MySQL is considered one of the very fast database languages, backed by a large number of the benchmark test. MySQL stores data efficiently in the database ensuring that it should not contain redundant data. MySQL is built on an engine, which is very well optimized for online transaction processing (OLTP) and very good at maximizing the number of transactions per second in your database. As MySQL supports multithreading, it responds to each request with the desired result very quickly by utilizing all the CPU power available.
High Flexibility
MySQL supports a large number of embedded applications, which makes MySQL very flexible.
Compatible on many operating systems
MySQL is compatible to run on many operating systems, like Novell NetWare, Windows* Linux*, many varieties of UNIX* (such as Sun* Solaris*, AIX, and DEC* UNIX), OS/2, FreeBSD*, and others. MySQL also provides a facility that the clients can run on the same computer as the server or on another computer (communication via a local network or the Internet).
The MySQL server is multi-threaded, so many clients can request data at the same time. Each client can use multiple databases simultaneously. MySQL provides several interfaces like command-line interface, GUI interface, or Web browsers that let you enter queries and view the desired results. In addition, programming interfaces are available for many languages, such as C, Perl, Java, PHP, Python, and Javascript. MySQL supports ODBC (Open Database Connectivity) interface also, it is a driver for connecting to MySQL databases, developed by Microsoft. This gives you the option of choosing either prepackaged client software or writing your own for custom applications.
MySQL is compatible to install and execute on any modern platforms like Windows, macOS, Linus, Unix, etc. MySQL is designed to run on all types of hardware from small PCs to huge servers.
Allows roll-back
MySQL allows transactions to be rolled back, commit, and crash recovery.
Memory efficiency
Its efficiency is high because it has a very low memory leakage problem.
High Performance
MySQL is faster, more reliable, and cheaper because of its unique storage engine architecture. It provides very high-performance results in comparison to other databases without losing an essential functionality of the software. It has fast loading utilities because of the different cache memory.
High Productivity
MySQL uses Triggers, Stored procedures, and views that allow the developer to give higher productivity.
Platform Independent
It can download, install, and execute on most of the available operating systems.
Partitioning
This feature improves the performance and provides fast management of the large database.
GUI Support
MySQL provides a unified visual database graphical user interface tool named “MySQL Workbench” to work with database architects, developers, and Database Administrators. MySQL Workbenchprovides SQL development, data modeling, data migration, and comprehensive administration tools for server configuration, user administration, backup, and many more. MySQL has a fully GUI supports from MySQL Server version 5.6 and higher.
Dual Password Support
MySQL version 8.0 provides support for dual passwords: one is the current password, and another is a secondary password, which allows us to transition to the new password. After MySQL version 8.0, it enhances the security of the database by introducing a dual password feature. One password is our regular password and another is a secondary password that is used to transition to the new password. In other words, a second password is used to change the existing password.
Advantages of MySQL
- Data Security: MySQL is the most secure and reliable database management system and is trusted by big websites like Twitter, Netflix, Amazon, Pinterest, and many more…
- Round-the-clock uptime: MySQL assures 24×7 uptime to its user along with speed and accuracy.
- Open-Source and freely available: In comparison to other DBMS software out there, MySQL is customizable due to open-source and its setup time is quicker than others.
- Reduces total cost of ownership: The ease of management can save troubleshooting time that is otherwise wasted in fixing downtime issues and problems related to performance.
- Huge Community: The popularity and effectiveness of MySQL can be judged by looking at its huge community support.
Disadvantages/Drawback of MySQL
Following are the few disadvantages of MySQL:
- MySQL version less than 5.0 doesn’t support ROLE, COMMIT, and stored procedure.
- MySQL does not support a very large database size as efficiently.
- MySQL doesn’t handle transactions very efficiently, and it is prone to data corruption.
- MySQL is accused that it doesn’t have a good developing and debugging tool compared to paid databases.
- MySQL doesn’t support SQL check constraints.
Conclusion
In this article, we discussed the top features of the MySQL database management system along with its history, popularity among other databases, and uses. As MySQL is open source and freely available, I would recommend MySQL database to begin with your database journey. MySQL is flexible enough to work well in dynamic environments, such as web applications. At the same time, MySQL can also be useful in the delivery of software, embedded applications, content indexing, data warehouses, highly available redundant systems, online transaction processing (OLTP), and much more.
