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Introduction to Relational Databases

Collecting, storing and processing data is a major task today. As the numbers grow, the problem of dealing with them becomes painful. In many cases, the most effective solution is a relational database — an organized collection of data stored in relational tables that is related to others. It’s the best choice for massive amounts of data.

The core principles of relational databases have stood the test of time, making the database concept the most widely used in the world. In general, when you talk about databases, the first thing that comes to mind is the concept of relational databases.

The SQL profile

In the database, data is structured and stored in different tables, simplifying the process of accessing, updating, and manipulating the data. This table consists of columns and rows. Tables in a database can be joined with the help of relationships. To perform data-related tasks in a database, you can use SQL. SQL stands for Structured Query Language, designed to create, modify, and manage data in a database within a particular RDBMS.

What is a MySQL

MySQL is an open source cross-platform database management system based on SQL queries. It was originally developed by MySQL AB in Sweden. It is now a division of Oracle Corporation.

This system is arguably the most popular and recognizable RDBMS in the world. Giants like Facebook, YouTube, Uber, Google and countless others prefer MySQL for data storage and management. They have every reason to stick with this RDBMS.

Five reasons to choose MySQL

Every database management system has its dedicated fan community, but MySQL is definitely the leader. MySQL does provide an objective advantage to users.

  1. **MySQL is user-friendly. A basic knowledge of SQL and its statements will allow for efficient interaction with MySQL Server. You can query and update data and manage databases.

  2. Open source: under the GPL (GNU Public License), MySQL is free to use and modify. This license determines the rights of free users. A commercial license is also available — it allows you to use MySQL software in commercial applications, and you are not bound by GPL regulations.

  3. Extensible and fast: the MySQL architecture allows the system to support the most powerful applications. It provides moderate speed and has very low memory leak problems. Furthermore, it can manage almost any amount of data in a table (50+ million rows). The initial file size is limited to 4 GB, but can be increased to a maximum of 8 TB of data.

  4. Compatible with multiple platforms: MySQL Server is compatible with Microsoft Windows, Apple Macintosh OS X, Ubuntu and multiple Unix options such as AIX, BSDI, FreeBSD, HP-UX, OpenBSD, Net BSD, SGI Iris and Sun Solaris.

  5. High security: Experts around the world regard MySQL as the most secure and reliable DBMS. Its data security options ensure proper data protection for any intruders.

The most notable feature of MySQL

The most famous and useful features of MySQL include the following.

1. Client/Server architecture: The client/Server system involves the primary database MySQL Server and multiple client-applications. MySQL Server creates the database and defines the relationships for each table. The client communicates with the server to request and process data using specific SQL statements. These tasks might include querying data, adding and saving changes, and so on. The server application provides requested information on the client side.

The server and client can both be on the same computer or on different machines. In the latter case, they communicate over a network (local or Internet). The client/server architecture is typical for all large database systems.

2.ODBC support: With ODBC Connector/ODBC, you can address MySQL using programming languages such as Delphi, Visual Basic, and other standard languages running under Windows.

3.SQL queries and commands: To use the MySQL relational database effectively, you can use views, triggers, and stored procedures. All of these items are major SQL elements that help to significantly manage large databases. These elements have been supported by MySQL since version 5.0.

4. Copy: You can copy the contents of the MySQL database to other computers. In this way, you can protect your data from system failures – you can replace the database with a copy if needed. In addition, this option can speed up database queries.

**5. Transactions: the ** transaction represents the execution of multiple operations as a block. A key feature is that either all operations are performed correctly in a transaction or none are performed at all. Thus, transactions allow programmers to interrupt/undo commands that have been executed – this is just one example. In general, this feature simplifies everything. MySQL also supports transactions, although it does not support MyISAM table format. However, you can apply other formats in MySQL and ensure this useful functionality.

** InnoDB tables fully support foreign key constraints in MySQL databases. You can ensure that all cross-references in the table are valid and accurate.

7. Data Dictionary: MySQL contains numerous objects and a great deal of information about them. That’s why it introduced a dedicated data dictionary to store all the information about those MySQL database objects. It is a crash-safe, centralized, and more optimized format than previous file-based metadata storage. In addition, it is more convenient to visit and work.

These are just a few examples of MySQL’s capabilities. As you start to use this RDBMS more thoroughly, you’ll notice countless other options that can make your activities easier. In addition, there are specialized tools.

conclusion

In this article, we review why it’s worth using MySQL and the main features it provides. To implement data-related tasks in MySQL databases, download and try out the 30-day free trial version of dbForge Studio for MySQL.