MySQL

MySQL is an open-source relational database management system (RDBMS) that uses Structured Query Language (SQL) for storing, retrieving, and managing data. It is designed for client-server computing and is widely used for web applications, often as part of the LAMP stack (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP/Perl/Python). Data in MySQL is stored in tables and can be organized using various storage engines, with InnoDB providing ACID-compliant transactions, row-level locking, and foreign key support. MyISAM was a historically popular engine for read-heavy workloads.

The system supports standard SQL features such as joins, subqueries, views, stored procedures, triggers, and functions. It offers options for high availability and scalability, including replication (master-slave and more modern configurations) and clustering through the NDB storage engine in MySQL Cluster. Modern releases add features such as JSON data types, improved indexing, prepared statements, and enhanced security with authentication plugins and role-based access control.

MySQL is developed, distributed, and supported by Oracle Corporation since its acquisition of Sun Microsystems in 2010. It originated in the mid-1990s as an open-source project by Michael Widenius and others at MySQL AB. The software is released under a dual license: the GNU General Public License for open-source use and a commercial license from Oracle for proprietary deployments. The ecosystem includes official connectors and APIs for many programming languages, including JDBC, ODBC, and language-specific drivers for PHP, Python, Java, and C++.

Compared with other relational databases, MySQL emphasizes ease of use, speed, and reliability for read-heavy workloads and web-scale applications while maintaining compatibility with standard SQL.