Datasheet

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Chapter 1: Introduction to PHP and MySQL
for free. If you’re using MySQL as a database on a Web site (the subject
of this book), you can use MySQL for free, even if you’re making money
with your Web site.
✓ MySQL Enterprise Subscription: A comprehensive offering of produc-
tion support, monitoring tools, and MySQL database software. For a
subscription fee paid per year per server, monthly software updates,
consulting services, technical support, and other services are available.
You can choose the level of services you want for the fee that you want
to pay.
Finding technical support for MySQL Community Server is not a problem. You
can join one of several e-mail discussion lists offered on the MySQL Web site
at www.mysql.com. You can even search the e-mail list archives, which con-
tain a large archive of MySQL questions and answers.
Advantages of MySQL
MySQL is a popular database with Web developers. Its speed and small size
make it ideal for a Web site. Add to that the fact that it’s open source, which
means free, and you have the foundation of its popularity. Here’s a rundown
of some of its advantages:
✓ It’s fast. The main goal of the folks who developed MySQL was speed.
Thus, the software was designed from the beginning with speed in mind.
✓ It’s inexpensive. MySQL is free under the open source GPL license, and
the fee for a commercial license is reasonable.
✓ It’s easy to use. You can build and interact with a MySQL database by
using a few simple statements in the SQL language, which is the stan-
dard language for communicating with RDBMSs. Check out Chapter 4 for
the lowdown on the SQL language.
✓ It can run on many operating systems. MySQL runs on many operating
systems — Windows, Linux, Mac OS, most varieties of Unix (including
Solaris and AIX), FreeBSD, OS/2, Irix, and others.
✓ It’s available on almost all Web hosts. If you’re going to run your Web
site on a Web hosting company, MySQL is widely available without extra
cost. Using MySQL on a Web host is discussed in more detail in Chapter 2.
✓ Technical support is widely available. A large base of users provides
free support through mailing lists. The MySQL developers also partici-
pate in the e-mail lists.
✓ It’s secure. MySQL’s flexible system of authorization allows some or all
database privileges (such as the privilege to create a database or delete
data) to specific users or groups of users. Passwords are encrypted.
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