Database Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 1. Introduction
MySQL is an opensource, multithreaded, relational database management system created
byMichael “Monty” Widenius in 1995. In 2000, MySQL was released under a dual-license
model that permitted the public to use it for free under theGNU General Public License
(GPL). All of this, in addition to its many features and stability, caused its popularity to
soar.
It has been estimated that there are more than six million installations of MySQL world-
wide, and reports of over 50,000 downloads a day of MySQL installation software. The
success of MySQL as a leading database is due not only to its price — after all, other cost-
free and open source databases are available — but also its reliability, performance, and
features.MariaDB is rapidly becoming the replacement to MySQL, and is seen by many as
the heir apparent to the spirit of the MySQL community.
If you're embarking on a career in computer programming, web development, or computer
technology more generally, learning MySQL and MariaDB will prove useful. Many busi-
nesses develop and maintain custom software with MySQL. Additionally, many of the
most popular websites and software use MySQL for their database — or they use another
SQL database system that you can learn once you understand MySQL. It's highly likely
that you will be required to know or will benefit from knowing MySQL during the course
of working as a database or website developer. Therefore, learning MySQL and MariaDB
is a good foundation for your career in computer technology.
