SQL vs MySQL

The terms SQL and MySQL often come up together, but they refer to different things:

➡️ SQL (Structured Query Language)

- Definition: SQL is a standard language used for managing and manipulating relational databases. It’s used for tasks like querying data, updating records, and creating schemas.

- Standards: SQL itself is a standardized language, with variations and extensions implemented by different database systems.

- Usage: SQL is used with various database management systems (DBMS) like MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, and Oracle.

➡️ MySQL

- Definition: MySQL is a specific open-source relational database management system (RDBMS) that uses SQL as its query language.

- Developer: Originally developed by MySQL AB, it’s now owned by Oracle Corporation.

- Features: MySQL provides tools for database management, data integrity, and performance tuning. It supports SQL for querying and managing databases.

- Usage: MySQL is popular for web applications and is often used in conjunction with PHP (in the LAMP stack: Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP/Perl/Python).

➡️ Summary

- SQL is the language you use to interact with databases.

- MySQL is a specific database system that uses SQL for querying and managing data.

In essence, SQL is the language, and MySQL is a database system that uses that language.