MySQL : What is MySQL, Why We Need MySQL

MySQL is an open-source server side software for relational database management system. Wider deployment options,integration with Apache makes it indispensable. If you are regular reader of this website you already know about LAMP – LAMP is nothing but an acronym that stands for Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP. We have written about Apache HTTP Server and PHP. Is not it quite obvious the next candidate is MySQL t write about in lucid language ?

What is MySQL

MySQL in principle stores the data for the softwares and CMS like WordPress which runs on LAMP server. If you have WordPress self hosted website, if you delete the MySQL database, everything will be lost. All the post, comment, plugin and their settings information are stored and managed via this MySQL.

MySQL itself has no graphical user interface. Universally another open source software PHPMyAdmin is used for management of MySQL database. Now you will understand why we wrote about Indispensable MySQL queries for custom fields in WordPress and there are so many mentions by other reputed websites.

So the thing is in easy language is – Apache is needed to use the computer as a server to install other components, PHP is a scripting language for the frontend and MySQL is standing in between – storing and providing the data asked.

Why We Need MySQL

Good example is always WordPress.  The answer is becoming easier – to store the data in a hierarchical structure we need MySQL. That is what a relational database management system (RDMS) do. So, now you have understood two things – MySQL and RDMS. because MySQL is an RDMS !

As we have the only way to use MySQL by default is using command line looking black window named shell, we said before we usually use PHPMyAdmin to do works on MySQL. That looks like this :

WP prefix is for WordPress on the above screenshot.  Can you see the MySQL Tables named with posts ? This is how, WordPress as an user with Administrative privilege wrote there all the data of all posts.

SQL has some differences with MySQL from deeper things. But the major Advantages of MySQL (actually most access through PHPMyAdmin) are unlimited and it is very flexible so it can be run on different system platforms including Mobile Operating systems like Symbian.

Everyday people installs MySQL, just like we did on our guide on how to Install WordPress on Rackspace Cloud Server , and no one actually see a GUI. On Debian Linux with nginx a bit colorful screen comes but its far from being a graphical interface of MySQL.