To answer the question what a MySQL database might be, let us previously refer to the concept of Databases and then to MySQL in order to be more easily understood the subject of the article.
What is a Database?
A database is essentially a data collection suitably stored to a computer in order to be accessed, handled and updated conveniently by the person who handles it. These actions on the data can be made through the (DataBase Management System- DBMS), which has the appropriate operations to access organized data structures and then edit them without loss and risk of tampering or damaging the data.
What is MySQL?
MySQL is a programming language for Database Management Systems (DBMS). In order for DBMS to have some common references, the SQL programming language (Structured Query Language) has been developed. SQL allows accessing of the structured data contained by DBMS, through a command system. Each DBMS basically accepts and executes an SQL command to manage its data. MySQL is a distribution (version) of the SQL language and a MySQL DBMS is a system that receives MySQL commands.
MySQL is a free software which can be used either for individual or professional reasons. Similarly to MySQL, there are other free or paid systems. Some of the most popular DBMSs are Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle SQL server, DB2, etc.
As DBMS technology has evolved in time, many DBMS variations have arisen, depending on the type of data stored. The organized data structures that have been referred here by now, store datasets (tuples) and the way those are related. Since the logic behind the management of these data is the Interrelationship of the data, these bases are called Relational Databases and their systems Relational (RDBMS - Relational Database Managements Systems). Other types of DBMS are HDBMS (Hierarchical DBMS) where the data is stored as a tree or a graph, so the base structure itself implies the correlation of data.
What is a MySQL base?
A database in MySQL is a space we have properly formatted to save our website data in a relational way.
For example, if our website contains a form for ordering products, then we could store in our database the list (tuple) of users where we can store our clients and the list (tuple) of Orders where we can store their orders. These two tables can be related in with a 1-to-many (1: N) relationship because a customer can proceed to a lot of orders.
Through this generalized example you can get a first taste of how MySQL can be used on daily practice matters of your web pages.
How do I create my own MySQL database ?
With any hosting package you purchase from IP.GR, you the option to create your own databases. See the analytical Database management guide in cPanel for further instructions.
Automatic devices - scripts
Through cPanel you have the option to automatically install applications such as Joomla, Wordpress, Drupal and more. All these systems use relational MySQL databases and automatically installing any of these, you also install their databases. Everything is ready to use and you can save and edit data in your database through the management interface of each application, without specific knowledge on databases.
There is certainly the ability to create everything from scratch, both in databases as well as in application that will manage it, as long as you have the necessary knowledge or the right partner (programmer) who will implement the appropriate structures for you.
