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Despite their extremely similar names, SQL (Structured Query Language) and MySQL are very different things. Both are used in programming and database languages; however, their uses are very different.
It is logical that their names would be similar; however, MySQL was built using SQL, while SQL is a type of query language that MySQL uses to function. Query languages are used for searches of various kinds, with SQL most commonly used for databases.
SQL is the most popular query language. MySQL makes use of it in order to create a database search. MySQL has been around for quite some time, but it’s still a popular database management system, partly because it’s open source.
Key Takeaways:
| SQL (Structured Query Language) | MySQL |
|---|---|
| SQL is a language that is used to work with and manage data. | MySQL makes use of SQL in its management system, but it’s an RDBMS (Relational Database Management System), not a language. |
| SQL is not the first language for working with databases, coming into usage after ISAM (Indexed Sequential Access Method) and VSAM (Virtual Storage Access Medium). | MySQL is the first open-source RDBMS that was put on the market. |
| The language is based on relational algebra and tuple relational calculus, which were both invented by Edgar F. Codd. | The system is based on SQL and uses its queries and other features in order to manage databases. |
| SQL is the most widely used query language. | MySQL is still in use, and the majority of its competitors were built using the same syntax. |
| It was invented in the 70s by a pair of IBM researchers. | It was invented by a Swedish company called MySQL AB in the mid-90s. |
What Is SQL (Structured Query Language)?
SQL is a type of query language. Query languages are a variety of computer languages that are used for databases and other information systems. They’re used to search for, retrieve, and modify data stored in data storage systems.
SQL is currently the most popular query language out there, being used by many major companies. It’s surprising, as it’s been around for almost half a century, which is eons in terms of technology – very few languages or systems last even half that long.
The language was based on relational algebra and tuple relational calculus, both of which were created by Edgar F. Codd. Both types of mathematics are focused on databases, and relational aspects therein (the explanation of which is outside the scope of this article) and are used primarily – if not exclusively – in computer languages, particularly query languages.
SQL consists of four sublanguages that govern different parts of the query process. They include
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Data Query Language (DQL). Unsurprisingly, this part of the language is for querying the data. SELECT is the main command in DQL.
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Data Definition Language (DDL). This sublanguage is for defining data structure and the relations between the data. It includes commands like CREATE.
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Data Creation Language (DCL). This is used for the creation of data.
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Data Manipulation Language (DML). As described, this is for manipulating data. That means the commands INSERT and UPDATE are in this sublanguage.
SQL isn’t the first query language, as it was preceded by ISAM (Indexed Sequential Access Method) and VSAM (Virtual Storage Access Medium), among others. It is considered superior to both of them, as it was the first query language to be able to access more than one record with a single command.
It also didn’t need the user to specify how to reach a record, instead being able to do it itself.
What Is MySQL?
MySQL is an open-source RDBMS (Relational Database Management System). It has the distinction of being the first of its kind on the market, having been developed in the 1990s by a Swedish company. MySQL uses many of the same commands and prompts as SQL, as it uses the query language in its database management – hence the name.
It gets its name because it uses SQL for its database management processes. RDBMS are a great deal easier to use than many older systems, such as hierarchical databases. It’s still a very popular model that’s in widespread use, with MySQL itself still in use despite its age.
Even if a database management system isn’t MySQL, most of them use a similar syntax, meaning that they are based on the MySQL system.
MySQL uses a few processes in order to access, organize, and generally manage a database.
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NoSQL interface. This controls the CRUD operations, or create, read, update, and delete. So it allows you to modify or view data.
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SQL interface. The process here does the SQL operations, such as the DDL (data definition language), DML (data manipulation language), procedures, views, and triggers.
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Parser. The parser does query translation and manages object privilege. The latter is, in simplified terms, determining who can alter information in the database.
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Optimizer. As SQL allows you not to have to define the access path, the optimizer does it for you.
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Caches and buffers. As with all programs, these store information needed to run and records what was accessed, when, and with what credentials.
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Storage engines. These aren’t precisely a process, but the different engines determine where things are stored and how they’re accessed. They include InnoDB, MyISAM, NDB Cluster, and Memory.
SQL (Structured Query Language) vs. MySQL FAQ
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What programs use SQL and MySQL?
MySQL is still used by several popular web-based services, such as WordPress, Youtube, and Facebook. SQL is still preferred by several relational database management systems, such as Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, and Sybase.
As SQL is the most popular query language currently in use, it’s a good bet that any database system you access would make use of it.
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Yes, MySQL is free to download and use. It’s currently owned by Oracle; however, it was released under the GNU GPL (general public license), which means that it’s open to use by the public, giving everyone the freedom to run, study, share, and modify the program.
It’s open source, which means that its code is free to view by anyone who wishes to, and they can modify it at will.
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Which SQL should I learn first?
SQLite is an excellent choice to learn first, as it’s the most welcoming to beginners. It’s the simplest database, but is still a powerful RDBMS. It’s streamlined and light, making it easy to get your RDBMS up and running.
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No, MySQL can’t be used with SQL. SQL is the basis of the system, meaning that the SQL prompts and language are a part of the system. It’s also a must for databases, as the whole basis of SQL’s existence is for working with and using databases.
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Are MySQL and SQL Server the same?
No, MySQL and SQL Server aren’t the same. There are myriad differences, including price, licensing, features, and the two system’s strengths and weaknesses. However, the most obvious difference between the two is that MySQL is offered through Oracle, and SQL Server is Microsoft’s database management system.
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Di has been a writer for more than half her life. Most of her writing so far has been fiction, and she’s gotten short stories published in online magazines Kzine and Silver Blade, as well as a flash fiction piece in the Bookends review. Di graduated from Mary Baldwin College (now University) with a degree in Psychology and Sociology.
