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Why Learn MySQL5

By Levi Reiss

Republish: EasyPublish™
Published: 18Dec2008
Word count: 442
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We assume if you are reading this article that you have been convinced to learn MySQL. Perhaps you are new to this product or perhaps you are already experienced with MySQL4. Now the question is why should you go to Version 5? After all, MySQL4 is quite good. Yes, but depending on what you are doing MySQL5 can be better, much better. Just a simple reminder, we feel that most people who are new to programming should start with MySQL4. Most people learn to walk before they learn to skate. But many great hockey players learned to ice skate before they learned to walk.

There are many fairly technical reasons for moving to MySQL5. In many cases the absence of just one of the technical features discussed in this article would be reason enough for people to move from the previous version despite its many features and advantages. With these features MySQL5 is now in the database management big leagues. This product should be considered for any database management project no matter how large or sophisticated. When we say large databases we mean it. MySQL is now used in some commercial applications that involve more than 20 billion rows of data. Sabre Holdings uses it to help run the world's largest on-line airline reservation system.

Among the technical database features that are considered an integral part of sophisticated database management solutions are stored procedures, triggers, named-updateable views, server-side cursors, type enhancements, standards-compliant metadata (INFORMATION_SCHEMA), XA-style distributed transactions, and hot backups. (This is not the place to explain these functions, don't worry if you don't know what they mean until you are ready to start using them.) If that sounds like a lot to learn, it is. But if you need any or all of this functionality you will swear by MySQL5. And swear at MySQL4. If this is what you need don't look for workarounds, download MySQL5.

MySQL5 can run on old computers. For example, I downloaded this product, copied it to a USB pen drive and then copied the files, less than 90 Megabytes, into a Pentium computer purchased new in August 1999. The only reason I couldn't run it under Windows 98 because the system didn't recognize my USB drive. But I did run it under Windows 2000 on this computer, which had an Internet browser but no live Internet connection. Moral of the story: You can do MySQL5 even on outdated computers. Needless to say, you won't be testing your huge, sophisticated databases on such computers. But you can use them to start to learn the ins and outs of this important language.

Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet. He loves the occasional glass of wine as exemplified by his wine websites including www.theworldwidewine.com. He teaches Linux and Windows operating systems plus other computer courses at an Ontario French-language community college. Visit his new website http://www.linux4windows.com which enables you to download and run Damn Small Linux on even outdated Windows computers.

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