With the rise of data usage and online business, the need to manage databases is also increasing. It has become an integrated part of businesses regardless of size, structure, and type because it allows them to analyze, manage, and secure data among multiple systems. The boom of the Internet and online businesses is a prominent reason its demand has boosted. It has opened a new gateway for business administrators, data analysts, and database administrators as it has become an essential source for making deliberate decisions. SQL and MySQL are two important elements of it. To understand these two elements, you would have to know the concept and the difference between SQL and MySQL.
In this article, we will discuss SQL vs MySQL and how it’s different from one another.
What is SQL?
SQL, also known as Structured Query Language, is used to create and manage databases. It is a standard language which was initially developed by IBM. You can easily query a database, update, add, or even modify it in a simple English language with this programming language. The best part about SQL is that it handles various relational database management systems. Some of the popular examples are Oracle, MySQL, MS Access, and SQL Server. In simple words, it is used to access, update, and manipulate data.
Besides this, you can also use it to control data access, creation, and modification of Database schemas. There are numerous SQL clauses used to write the queries to represent the purpose of the action. So, just like you need a programming language to create an application, it is necessary for managing and operating databases.
Let’s have a look at some basic clauses and understand their functions:
- CREATE DATABASE: its function is to create a new database
- DELETE: its function is to delete data from the dataset
- CREATE TABLE: it builds a new table in the database
- UPDATE: its function is to update data in the database
- ALTER TABLE: it makes amendment in a table
The SQL is highly case-sensitive. Hence, it is important to be flawless when it comes to writing.
What is MySQL?
MySQL is an open-source relational database management system owned by Oracle Corporation. It enables the user to store, recover, and manage relational databases. It is one of the most popular tools used by numerous top-tier companies like Facebook and Google to manage data. The best part about MySQL is that it is highly supported, and users can run this software on multiple platforms and operating systems such as UNIX, Linux, Windows, and more. Other than that, it offers numerous storage engines for the tables, which are InnoDB, Merge, ARCHIVE, CSV, MyISAM, and FEDERATED.
It is an open-source system and provides:
- High-end data security.
- On-demand flexibility.
- Complete transactional assistance.
- First-class performance.
- Comprehensive workflow control.
Besides this, it is highly compatible with modern programming languages such as Python, C++, Java, C, etc.
Similarities Between SQL and MySQL
- Both provide managing features to the database users.
- Both have saved procedures, views, indexing, and triggers.
- Both have data types.
- Both provide managing and relational database handling.
- Both join operations in the table (Inner, Right, Left, Self, Cross).
- Both can use accumulated functions like count, sum, average, etc.
Now, we will be discussing the differences between SQL and MySQL.
SQL vs MySQL
SQL vs MySQL: Here are some of the significant differences between SQL and MySQL –
| Category | SQL | MySQL |
|---|---|---|
| Developers | Developed by IBM. | MySQL is Developed by Oracle Corporation. |
| Definition & Function | It is a structured query language, which is used for managing and recovering data from the database system. | It is a relational database system, which uses SQL to query data from the databases. |
| Type | Query language | Database software, using SQL to query the database. |
| Syntax/Format | The syntax and formats are fixed, easy to use, and declarative in SQL, starting with a clause and ending with a semicolon. | It is a software, which means it does have any specific format or command. |
| Availability | Not open to others for free. | It is an open source, which can be accessed by anyone. |
| Platform Support | It was specifically built for Windows. However, it also partially works for Linux, macOs that too with latest versions. | It is suited for the navigated platforms, performing well for macOS, Linux, and Windows. |
| Language Support | It is a programming language, which is itself used for database systems. | Supports all basic programming languages like Python, Java, C, C++, etc. |
| Storage Engine | It supports only one storage engine for multiple operations. | It supports multiple storage engines and does not take much space. Other than that, it also permits a plugin storage engine. |
| Data Security | Highly safe, and no third parties can get access to modify and manipulate the data. | It is an open-source and is one of the reasons for having more threats for distributing and manipulating the data. |
| Multilingual | Available in multiple languages. | Available only in English. |
| Connect Support | Does not support any connectors. | Support other connectors for creating databases such as WorkBench. |
| Data Restoration | The data restoration of large amounts of data is less in SQL. | The data restoration process in MySQL is highly time-consuming and requires multiple SQL statements. |
| Advantages |
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Conclusion
These are some of the fundamental differences and similarities between SQL and MySQL, and there is no doubt that both have equal importance when it comes to storing and managing data. However, the decision of choosing between them entirely depends on your work requirement. To conclude, the comparison between SQL and MySQL is not a debatable topic since both are different data management tools that are complementary when it comes to relational database requirements. If you have any doubts, you can reach out to us in the comment section below!
