MySQL vs. MariaDB: A Brief Comparison Guide
Arthur T Knackerbracket has processed the following story:
For developers familiar with MySQL, you've probably heard that MariaDB is the next generation of the database engine. MySQL has long been the traditional database in Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP (LAMP) environments. However, MariaDB has gained popularity as an alternative. MariaDB is a fork of the original MySQL codebase, created to ensure continuity and avoid the potential pitfalls after MySQL was acquired by Oracle. Developers will find that the syntax is similar, but MariaDB introduces several notable differences.
Although MySQL remains embedded in several large technology businesses, MariaDB is often seen as a popular new-generation database for enterprises. MariaDB supports higher data transfer volumes and is supported by most cloud providers. Its similarity to MySQL, which was the dominant database in the early 2000s, has facilitated its adoption.
The key differences between MariaDB and MySQL form the foundation of MariaDB's performance. MariaDB offers several more storage engines and supports over 200,000 connections. MySQL's Enterprise edition includes proprietary code, while MariaDB is completely open-source. These differences contribute to MariaDB's superior speed. In recent benchmark testing, MariaDB performs somewhere between 13% to 36% faster than MySQL.
Since MariaDB is a fork from MySQL, the syntax is similar, but MariaDB has several additional features. Basic SQL syntax remains the same, but MariaDB handles data storage and functions differently. Each new version of MariaDB includes added features and extensions.
One example of a feature in MariaDB not available in MySQL is the SEQUENCE feature. In MySQL, you use the AUTO_INCREMENT feature to add a unique incremented integer to each row created in a table. With SEQUENCE, you can create a custom sequence that starts at a specific value and increments by a custom value.
The following is an example of the SEQUENCE function:
CREATE SEQUENCE s START WITH 10 INCREMENT BY 10;
MySQL was introduced in 1995 and became the dominant database engine in the early 2000s. It's used by some of the world's largest companies such as Facebook, GitHub, Airbnb, and YouTube. It handles billions of records and integrates easily into Linux environments, including affordable web hosting providers.
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