Whats the difference between MySQL and just SQL?

Question

Ive learned most of MySQL and PHP, is it similar at all?

Answer 1

Simply different implementations of the same idea. Two big players in the server field - as the previous answer pointed out are the Open Source MySQL (I believe now partly owned by the Sage Group) and MSSQL which is Microsoft's licensed take on the subject.



SQL as a language has been around quite a while. It was possible to use native SQL syntax when querying the databases of older products such as the now demised DOS based FoxPro and DBx series of database languages rather than it's current form in which you install it lock stock and barrel on a web server and link to it with Perl, PHP or another language.

Answer 2

Okay, so you're looking at three completely different things here.



1) PHP: A general purpose programming language, commonly used for scripting and creating websites. This is where you actually do things.



2) SQL: The Structured Query Language, a standard set of commands for communicating with databases. This includes things like 'SELECT * FROM table1'. The only thing it is used for is to send and retrieve data from databases such as MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, and PostgreSQL.



3) MySQL: A popular open-source database that uses SQL for queries. It is now owned by Oracle. This is the actually program that creates a file on your hard drive and stores the database entries.

Answer 3

SQL is a database implementation built by Microsoft. The primary difference between it and MySQL is its ability to track metadata about its fields. like last updated 12:00 1/1/2000.



It does this natively and you don't have to build additional fields to store these data points or additional logic to track it. Using this meta data it also stores information about related tables and foreign keys to make querying multiple tables easier. But the GUI is so hard core you really don't need to ever write a query. You can also natively store certain procedures in meta data and call them directly preventing you from having to rewrite reusable queries.



The query language is basically identical but SQL. But all this wiz bang crap comes at a pretty hefty price(especially compared to free), and in my experience it has had lots of memory leaks and performance problems.



And if your running PHP and not .Net its a ton easier to stick with MySQL because all the documentation you find on line is related to it.

Answer 4

Probably talking nonsense here, but isn't MySQL open source and in the public domain, and SQL a Proprietary product by MS or someone?



OK, checked it out - MySQL is open source GNU software, SQL is a query developed initially by IBM in the '70s. several companies have adopted the language and marketed it as their own brand.