What is MySQL Database? Features, Uses, and Benefits

Learn what MySQL is, its key features, common use cases, and the benefits it offers for developers and businesses in managing relational databases.

Introduction:

MySQL is one of the most popular open-source Relational database management Systems (RDMS) invented and maintained by Oracle Corporation. It stores data in the form of tables consisting of rows and columns.

MySQL utilizes the Structured Query Language (SQL) to manage the database, including storing, retrieving data, and controlling data accessibility. This database is ideal, reliable, scalable, flexible, and easy to use for large applications. MySQL language is the best choice for developers as it is commonly used with PHP and Apache in the LAMP stack.

What is MYSQL?

MySQL database was developed by the Oracle team and written in the C++ programming language. It allows users to manage the database using the SQL commands. With the help of MySQL, users can create, insert and execute large queries to manipulate the database.

Basic MySQL Syntax:

Basic MySQL syntax is shown below:

1) Create database:

Syntax:

CREATE DATABASE Students;

2) Create table:

Syntax:

CREATE TABLE Students (

id INT PRIMARY KEY,

name VARCHAR(100),

age INT,

grade VARCHAR(10)

);

3) Insert data into the table:

Syntax:

INSERT INTO Students (name, age, grade)

VALUES ('Tpoint Tech', 20, '1st position');

4) Retrieve data:

Syntax:

SELECT * FROM Students;

Select name, age from students;

5) Update data:

Syntax:

UPDATE Students

SET age = 17

WHERE name = 'Ravi Kumar';

6) Delete data:

Syntax:

DELETE FROM Students

WHERE id = 51;

7) Drop table:

Syntax:

DROP TABLE Students;

Key features of the MySQL database

MySQL is a popular relational database management system. There are many features of MySQL, such are as follows: features:

Cross-Platform Independent: MySQL databases can run easily on any operating system, including Windows, Linux, and macOS. They provide the software with the ability to run on multiple systems or devices without requiring code changes. The primary advantage of cross-platform development is that it enables developers to write code that can be utilised across various platforms. It reduces the time and effort of the developers.

Open-Source: MySQL database is open-source and free to use. This has only covered the enterprise versions used for large applications. Open source means this software can be easily downloaded, used and modified by anyone. The MySQL source code can be modified according to specific requirements.

High Performance: It can manage multiple transactions quickly, to make it ideal for high-traffic applications. It provides fast data retrieval and applications for large databases. The MySQL database supports high performance without compromising functionality.

Data Types: MySQL stores several data types that manage database systems, such as integer (INT), character (CHAR), variable character (VARCHAR), float (FLOAT), text, date, and time, among others.

Scalability: Scalability means performing efficiently when the workload increases. It can be easily applied to applications, networks, databases, and infrastructure. This maintains the performance of the applications by managing the website's traffic without affecting its performance, reliability, and functionality.

Uses of MySQL

MySQL database is commonly used in several industries and applications. Many use cases are shown below:

1. Web-development:

This is one of the most used large databases. This can manage, store, and retrieve data for websites and applications. The MySQL database is generally used with various programming languages, including Python, JavaScript, and PHP.

Example (JavaScript with MySQL):

const mysql = require('mysql2');

const db = mysql.createConnection({

host: 'localhost',

user: 'root',

password: 'your_password',

database: 'my_database'

});

db.connect((err) => {

if (err) throw err;

console.log('Connected to MySQL database');

});

2. E-commerce applications:

E-commerce applications use a MySQL database to store product details, customer information, order details, and transaction histories of users.

Example:

CREATE TABLE products (

id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,

name VARCHAR(100),

description TEXT,

price DECIMAL(10, 2),

stock INT,

category VARCHAR(50)

);

Add some Products:

INSERT INTO products (name, description, price, stock, category) VALUES

('iPhone 14', 'Apple smartphone', 79999.00, 10, 'Mobile'),

('HP Laptop', 'HP Pavilion 15', 59999.00, 5, 'Laptop'),

('Punch', 'Punch dealer service', 129999.00, 5, 'Four wheeler');

3. Mobile Applications:

This database is used for mobile apps, such as those for Android and iOS, which utilise MySQL to manage user data and other details.

For example, if you are creating a Mobile app for food delivery systems like Zepto, Swiggy, Blinkit, and so on, you use the MySQL database for all services.

Example:

CREATE TABLE users (

id INT PRIMARY KEY,

name VARCHAR(100),

email VARCHAR(100) UNIQUE,

password VARCHAR(255)

);

Insert the details:

INSERT INTO users (name, email, password)

VALUES (“XYZ”, 'xyz@example.com', 'hashed_password');

4. Educational hubs:

MySQL databases are used in schools, colleges, and universities to store details and manage records, results, and administrative data.

For example, if you are creating a college management system, use a MySQL database to manage student details and other college-related information.

Example:

CREATE TABLE teachers (

id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,

name VARCHAR(100),

email VARCHAR(100),

subject VARCHAR(100)

);

Insert the details:

INSERT INTO teachers (name, email, subject) VALUES

('Dr. Ramesh Sharma', 'ramesh@college.edu', 'Mathematics'),

('Ms. Priya Verma', 'priya@college.edu', 'Computer Science');

5. Large Enterprises:

MySQL databases are used for large enterprises, such as scalability and reliability. It contributes to several enterprise systems such as HR (Human resources), supply chain, finance, CRM (Customer relationship management), and high-traffic web platforms.

Many global companies like Google, Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, and Uber use the MySQL database to core parts of the database due to its reliability, performance, and other features, etc.

Example:

CREATE TABLE Advertisers (

advertiser_id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,

name VARCHAR(100),

company VARCHAR(100),

country VARCHAR(50)

);

Insert data into tables:

INSERT INTO Advertisers (name, company, country)

VALUES ('Ankit Verma', 'TechBoost', 'India');

Benefits of MySQL

These benefits make MySQL a trusted and popular choice for developers, database administrators, and businesses around the world. It provides multiple benefits that are mentioned below:

1) Strong data Security

In modern times, developers use MySQL databases as they provide strong data security features like password authentication, access control, user authentication, and other features to support data.

Encryption provides users with highly secure communications, databases, and managed files to prevent authorized users from accessing the database from the files. Other factors of the database, such as authentication, means to verify the user details such as user_id, user_names, password, biometrics, or two-factor authentication(2FA). At the same time, authorization refers to the user's access to the database that belongs to the communities.

Example:

CREATE USER 'admin'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'strongpass123';

GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON mydb.* TO 'admin'@'localhost';

2) Reliability and Stability

Reliability refers to the system performing consistently under the specified conditions. When your system is working as reliably, users perform the work as expected every time to reduce the disruptions. This database is used for a robust and stable database system.

Stability means to the check the performance behavior when users change the system, such as increasing user load, updates, or unexpected errors. It supports the features like ACID (Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability) to ensure data reliability.

3) Manage the Complex Queries

MySQL database can easily handle complex queries such as group data, use the functions, and perform the join operations. If the users handle large datasets such as collecting multiple tables, real-time applications, etc., this database can manage the conditional logic, aggregate functions, and group the data.

Example: (Join with Subquery)

SELECT e.name, d.department_name

FROM employees as e

INNER JOIN departments as d ON e.department_id = d.id

WHERE e.salary > (

SELECT SUM(salary) FROM employees WHERE department_id = d.id

);

Conclusion:

In the article “What is MySQL Database? Features, Uses, and Benefits" MySQL supports strong and powerful relational database management systems that include a wide range of benefits, such as open-source, easy-to-use, reliable, performance, security, and managing a large community.

In general, MySQL stands on the right combination of speed, reliability, and cost, a necessity in the modern data landscape. I suggest you to learn the MySQL programming from the Tpoint tech website, as it provides MySQL Tutorials, interview questions, and all its related topics in easy language.

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