What is MySQL? A Beginner’s Guide to SQL Databases

Introduction

SQL is one of the most popular programming languages in the world — bested only by Javascript, HTML, and CSS. Nearly every application you can think of relies upon a database by which data can be stored and accessed. When it comes to databases, SQL is the most popular language by far; 60 percent of databases used the world over are built on some form of SQL.

So, what is “SQL”? SQL stands for “Structured Query Language,” pronounced “ess-que-el.” Database developers use SQL to interact with their databases, creating new data sets, modifying existing data sets, and deleting data as needed. SQL is not only a simple language (with easily understood commands), but there are also many varieties of SQL. MySQL, Microsoft SQL, and PostgreSQL are some of the most popular SQL platforms.

In this article, we will be talking specifically about MySQL, its uses, and its relationship with SQL syntax. Originally developed in 1995, MySQL is one of the leading SQL technologies with 53.5 percent of the SQL database market share. Particularly popular for web applications, MySQL is free to use and often integrated into open source packages.

What is “Data” in MySQL?

To understand MySQL, we first need to understand how it manipulates and stores data. But first, what is data, and why is it important?

One of the easiest ways to understand data in MySQL is to consider a simple user account. To create an account on a user site, a user needs to provide their:

• Name
• Password
• Email address

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