| MySQL: What is it? |
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MySQL is an open source database management system. Open source software like MySQL means that the programming code used to create it is made available to the public. Put simply open source software means that anyone who is familiar with programming code can view and alter it. At first it may sound as if open source software would not be secure but in most cases the opposite is true. Security holes are often found more quickly and talked about more widely, and as a result fixed more quickly because the open source nature of the software permits anyone who understands programming to correct the issue.
MySQL is the most widely used open source database system in the world, boasting close to ten million installations worldwide. It is widely used on the Internet and is frequently integrated into websites that use databases. One of the main features and advantages of MySQL when compared to some other versions of SQL is that MySQL is free.
What exactly is a database?
A database is a collection of data structured in such a way that even large amounts of data can be managed. As an individual you might be able to remember a few phone numbers, names, and addresses but with the sheer amount of data available today a method of managing that data is needed. MySQL is one method of managing data in a format that is easily integrated into other programs and software.
If you have ever worked with any kind of system where you put in a piece of information and gotten back significant amounts of useful information then you have worked with a database at least on some level. As an example, a MySQL database might contain all of the contact information for five thousand members of a local political party, as well as how much they have donated. Rather than searching through records yourself you may have had the ability to type in just one piece of information, like the last name ‘Jones’, and then received a list of all persons listed in the database with that last name.
MySQL databases can store more than simple text information. It is possible with MySQL to store graphical files such as pictures. While it is possible to manually enter a MySQL database to view the information it contains, databases are best used as behind the scenes solutions; only you should be aware of your database and how a piece of software accesses it. To a user of the software it should just seem as if the software itself is providing the information rather than extracting it from a database.
Using MySQL or any database may seem like a daunting task at first but it is important to remember that the nature of databases typically means that while you can interact with them directly, most people will be using a third party piece of software that interacts with the database for them. Databases are very powerful tools and the data contained in them can be critically important or mundane. Regardless of whether the data is important or not it is always better to limit the ability to change the information in a database. A novice or inexperienced user interacting directly with a MySQL database is not something you will want to deal with if that database is important to you.
If you are using a database as part of your website you will be able to have dynamic content that changes based on the particular user visiting your site. Rather than have separately created pages for each portion or product on your website you can instead have a small handful of pages that are interactive. Interactive web sites will pull data from the MySQL database based on the visitors interests. Integrating a database with your site can be somewhat challenging but the benefits of doing so along with the number of available options a database can offer makes it worth the investment. |
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