MySQL

MySQL is a multithreaded, multi-user, SQL (Structured Query Language) relational database server (RDBMS). MySQL is available either under the GNU General Public License (GPL) or under other licenses when the GPL is inapplicable to the intended use.

Unlike projects such as Apache, MySQL is owned and sponsored by a single for-profit firm, the Swedish company MySQL AB. The company develops and maintains the system, selling support and service contracts, as well as commercially-licensed copies of MySQL, and employing people all over the world who work together via the internet. Two Swedes and a Finn founded MySQL AB: David Axmark, Allan Larsson and Michael "Monty" Widenius.

Despite the widespread pronunciation of "SQL" as the word "sequel," MySQL AB recommends that "MySQL" be pronounced as mī ěs-kyōō-ěl, not mī sē'kwel

MySQL is popular for web applications like Wikipedia and PHP -Nuke and acts as the database component of LAMP. The popularity as a web application is closely tied to the popularity of PHP, which is often combined with MySQL and nicknamed the Dynamic Duo. It is easy to find many references that combine the two from books (PHP and MySQL for Dummies, PHP and MySQL Bible, Beginning PHP and MySQL, etc.) to websites. The implication in many books is that MySQL is easier to learn and use than many other database applications. An example from the Dummies book is that you can quit MySQL with an obvious command of either exit or quit.