MySQL Basics: Definition, Types, Languages and Importance

Hello everyone, welcome back to CybercityHelp. In the field of data analytics, knowing how to write an SQL query has become one of the most demanding skills in today’s technology world. However, you might say that we already have tools like Power BI and Excel where we can create charts, KPIs, dashboards, and get similar forms of data. So what is the need for MySQL, and why should we even use it? That is what we’re going to cover in today’s article.

So in our today’s article, we are going to discuss about MySQL such as what it is, why MySQL is called a database, what are the types of MySQL databases, and lastly, how and where MySQL is used. So let’s get started.

What is MySQL?

MySQL is basically a Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) where we can create tables. These tables contain various forms of data such as customer data, order details, delivery information, and more. In each of these tables, there is always something in common that connects them together, and we can retrieve data from multiple tables at the same time just by writing a single query. This is what DBMS is all about.

Why is MySQL Called a Database?

We all know that MySQL is a database, but why do we call it a database? A database is simply a place where we can store a huge amount of data. But then you might ask, “If Excel can already store large data, why do we need MySQL?”

So let me tell you that Excel can only store up to 10 lakh rows of data. You cannot load more than 10 to 10.5 lakh rows. But if we talk about MySQL, we can store an extremely large amount of data like even millions and billions of records. That is why MySQL is preferred over tools like Excel when it comes to large-scale data handling.

But where does this data come from? This data comes from us only. Whenever we interact with any website, mobile application, or portal, those systems are connected to databases in the background. Whenever we buy something, sign up, log in, or make a transaction, that data is stored in a database. Since this data is coming in real time, we also need real-time analysis. And to perform real-time analysis, we must know the types of databases.

Types of MySQL Databases

There are two types of databases:
1. SQL Databases
2. NoSQL Databases

SQL stands for Structured Query Language. It is the language used to interact with databases. Just like we use programming languages to interact with computers, we use SQL to interact with databases.

• Some examples of SQL-based databases are: Microsoft SQL, PostgreSQL, MySQL
• Similarly, in NoSQL databases, we have: MongoDB, Cassandra, and many others.

In all SQL databases like MySQL, MS SQL, and PostgreSQL, we use the SQL language. Yes, some of the syntax and functions differ slightly from one database to another, but majorly they are similar because all of them use SQL.

So, if you learn SQL in one database, it becomes very easy to write SQL in any other database. There will be only around 10–20% difference in syntax or functions.

Where MySQL is Used?

MySQL is not limited to just one field, it is used across many domains such as: Data Science, Data Analytics, Computer Science, Machine Learning, Finance, Healthcare and many more.

Let’s understand this from the Data Analytics perspective.

Data Analytics is a field that deals with extracting meaningful information from data to help in decision-making and improving overall performance. For example, if you’re running a company or a business, data analytics helps you identify your strengths and weaknesses, understand where performance is dropping, and where improvement is needed. This field is used in almost every sector such as finance, healthcare, business, and technology.

How MySQL is Used for Data Analytics?

Now let’s talk about how MySQL is used for performing analytics. Let’s suppose you are asked “How much sales have we generated from morning till now?” You might think of loading the data into Excel or Power BI and then performing calculations. But instead of doing that, you can simply write a small SQL query in the database and retrieve that information instantly and that too in real time.

This method is called in-database analytics. To perform in-database analytics, you need to learn different functions and concepts of SQL such as:

• SELECT clause
• WHERE clause
• JOINS
• GROUP BY
• ORDER BY
• Window functions
• CTEs (Common Table Expressions)

Now since this is just an introductory article, we won’t go deep into all these concepts right now. We will explain each of them in our upcoming articles in detail.

Alright, so this was all about MySQL in today’s article. This was just an introduction where we covered what MySQL is, why it is needed, different types of databases, and why MySQL is so important in modern data-driven fields.

We hope you must have understood the basics of MySQL clearly. However, if you still have any doubts or confusion regarding any part, feel free to ask your questions in the comment section. We will be bringing more detailed articles on MySQL very soon so that you can learn everything step by step. Thank you so much for reading this article till the end!

“So keep learning, keep growing!”