PHP MySQL - Stilson.net

CHAPTER 25 • INTRODUCING MYSQLwww.it-ebooks.info• Addition of InnoDB to standard distribution: The InnoDB storage engine, whichhas been available to users since version 3.23.34a, was made part of the standarddistribution as of version 4.0. The InnoDB tables bring a host of new features toMySQL users, including transactions, foreign key integrity, and row-level locking.The InnoDB engine is covered in Chapter 28, and transactions are discussed inChapter 37.• Query caching: Query caching, available with the version 4.0.1 release, greatlyimproves the performance of selection queries by storing query results in memoryand retrieving those results directly, rather than repeatedly querying the databasefor the same result set.• Embedded MySQL server: An embedded MySQL server makes it possible tointegrate a full-featured MySQL server into embedded applications. Embeddedapplications power things like kiosks, CD-ROMs, Internet appliances, cell phones,and PDAs.• Subqueries: Subqueries can greatly reduce the complexity otherwise required ofcertain queries, offering the ability to embed selection statements inside anotherquery statement. As of version 4.1, MySQL users can now enjoy the use ofstandards-based subquery operations. Chapter 35 covers this long-awaitedfeature.• Secure connections via Secure Sockets Layer (SSL): Using solely unencryptedclient/server connections raises the possibility that data and authenticationcredentials could be intercepted and even modified by some uninvited third party.As of version 4.0, encrypted connections can be established between MySQL andany client supporting SSL technology. See Chapter 29 for more information on thisfeature.• Spatial extensions: Version 4.1 offered support for spatial extensions, which areused to create, store, and analyze geographic information. For example, thisfeature might be used to plot on a map the location of shoe stores in a particularcity.MySQL 5Officially released in October of 2005, MySQL 5’s impressive array of features signified a major stepforward in terms of the product’s evolution, and it was the catalyst for the company’s substantialcapitalization of market share at the cost of its entrenched competitors. Some of the feature highlightsinclude:• Stored procedures: A stored procedure is a set of SQL statements that is stored inthe database and made available in the same manner as SQL functions such asmin() and rand(). Based on the requirements set forth by the latest pending SQLstandard, SQL-2003, the addition of stored procedures fulfills one of the last majorfeature deficiencies of MySQL. Chapter 32 is devoted to a complete overview ofthis topic.482