zpostcode
MySQL
Jul 2, 2026 12:21 PM

  MySQL, open-source relational database management software, owned by the computer software company Oracle, that allows users to interact with large amounts of data across multiple databases. MySQL is one of the most popular database management programs used worldwide.

  Though SQL is sometimes referred to as “S-Q-L,” it is more often called “sequel,” in acknowledgment of its historical roots as “Structured English Query Language.”

  A database allows users to store and organize large amounts of data in a computer. Data is typically stored in a relational database format, wherein it is arranged into rows and columns that form groups of tables. This helps to improve the efficiency of processing and querying data. Computer scientists can use a programming language known as Structured Query Language (SQL) to manage, parse, and analyze the data stored on SQL Servers, which act as relational database management systems. Users can instruct the SQL Server to query or identify data. SQL can also be used to insert data, modify and delete data, and even create, modify, and delete entire tables. Though SQL is sometimes referred to as “S-Q-L,” it more often is called “sequel,” in acknowledgment of its historical roots as “Structured English Query Language.”

  SQL was invented in the 1970s by IBM researchers Raymond Boyce and Donald Chamberlin, though they called it “SEQUEL” at the time. In 1986 the American National Standards Institute designated SQL as the standard for interacting with relational databases. In 1995 MySQL was developed by the Swedish company MySQL AB (acquired by Oracle in 2010) to provide a user-friendly relational database management software. In 2000 MySQL was released with a GNU General Public License, making it open source and free to download.

  MySQL software provides users with a graphical user interface that allows them to make requests on database servers in order to receive output values. It is generally considered to be easier to extract values using MySQL than raw SQL code. Because MySQL is written in C and C++ programming languages, MySQL is compatible with most operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux. MySQL also supports connectivity through application programming interfaces, which can link data to various programs, libraries, and administrative tools.

  MySQL has surpassed the user base of competitors such as Microsoft SQL Server, PostgreSQL, and MongoDB. Multiple websites that use a database management system use MySQL, including Google, Facebook, and Adobe. More than half of all information technology companies use MySQL to manage their databases as well. Web developers often deploy MySQL as part of a software set known as LAMP, so named because it includes Linux, Apache Web server, MySQL, and PHP (a scripting language), all of which are open-source software. The LAMP stack is frequently used to create high-performance Web applications.

  Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Subscribe Now

Comments
Welcome to zpostcode comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Recommend >
19 Essential Italian Churches
  Italy’s rich architectural heritage includes thousands of churches built across two millennia. Here are 19 of the most notable ones.   Earlier versions of the descriptions of these churches first appeared in 1001 Amazing Places You Must See Before You Die, edited by Richard Cavendish (2016). Writers’ names appear in parentheses.   Basilica of San Vitale      basilica of San Vitale, Ravenna,...
19 Places That Exemplify Cool Swiss Style
      Earlier versions of the descriptions of these buildings first appeared in 1001 Buildings You Must See Before You Die, edited by Mark Irving (2016). Writers’ names appear in parentheses.   Valerio Olgiati’s redesign of a 19th-century building in Flims constitutes a radical transformation of its character. Placed directly by the curving roadside, the Yellow House enjoys...
4 Fountains in Italy (and 1 in England)
     Fountains are a common feature of many cities, but Italy has a handful of unusually notable ones. There’s also one in England that, arguably, reflects the cultural differences between the two countries.   Earlier versions of the descriptions of these fountains first appeared in 1001 Amazing Places You Must See Before You Die, edited by Richard Cavendish (2016)....
20 Buildings Not to Miss in Australia
      From the Rose Seidler House and Mooloomba House to the Sydney Opera House, these 20 buildings are examples of some of Australia’s most architecturally and historically important structures.   Earlier versions of the descriptions of these buildings first appeared in 1001 Buildings You Must See Before You Die, edited by Mark Irving (2016). Writers’ names appear in...
Information Recommendation
19 Significant Buildings Worth Seeing in Denmark
      Denmark spreads over a peninsula and an archipelago of more than 400 islands. Its architectural landscape is just as varied as the land it occupies.   Earlier versions of the descriptions of these buildings first appeared in 1001 Buildings You Must See Before You Die, edited by Mark Irving (2016). Writers’ names appear in parentheses.   Høpfner A/S...
13 Buildings You Should Visit When You’re in Tokyo
     topimages/Shutterstock,com Tokyo was once known as Edo, which began as a fishing village many centuries ago. Edo became Tokyo (”Eastern Capital”) in the 19th century, when it became Japan’s capital. This list highlights just a few of the many significant buildings in Tokyo.   Earlier versions of the descriptions of these buildings first appeared in 1001 Buildings You Must See...
13 Buildings That Tell Berlin’s Story
      The history of Berlin is a long one, filled with triumphs and tragedies. These 13 buildings span centuries and capture, in microcosm, the city’s unique progression through time and arrival in the present.   Earlier versions of the descriptions of these buildings first appeared in 1001 Buildings You Must See Before You Die, edited by Mark Irving (2016)....
25 Must
      China’s recorded history stretches back more than 4,000 years. These 25 buildings merely scratch the surface of the country’s rich architectural heritage.   Earlier versions of the descriptions of these buildings first appeared in 1001 Buildings You Must See Before You Die, edited by Mark Irving (2016). Writers’ names appear in parentheses.   Labrang Tashi Kyil MonasteryLocated on...
21 Tombs Around the World
     A tomb, according to Britannica’s entry, is “a home or house for the dead.” Here are 21 tombs (or sites of many individual tombs) from around the world that show the varied ways that different cultures at different times have housed and honored their dead.   Earlier versions of the descriptions of these tombs first appeared in 1001 Amazing...
14 Buildings That Lay Bare Scotland’s Soul
      “I am a Scotsman,” Sir Walter Scott once wrote; “therefore I had to fight my way into the world.” This list explains how these 14 buildings fought their way onto Scottish soil.   Earlier versions of the descriptions of these buildings first appeared in 1001 Buildings You Must See Before You Die, edited by Mark Irving (2016). Writers’ names...
19 Historic Buildings to Visit in Rome
      The term historic may be understated for a city that can trace its origins, as a continuous settlement, to the first millennium BCE. Nearly everything about Rome might be considered historic. This list merely skims the surface of the buildings worth seeing in Italy’s national capital.   Earlier versions of the descriptions of these buildings first appeared in...
20 Must
     Walter Hochauer In the early 1990s, an intact mummy was discovered in the Ötztal Alps, on the Italian-Austrian border, that proved to be more than 5,000 years old. What is known today as Austria has been populated for a very long time; the buildings here are just a blip on the region’s history, but they’re all worth seeing when...