Web Applications Using the MySQL Database

If your site will involve the use of web applications, then you will probably need a database in which to store user, transaction and/or product data. While there are many database products available for the web, one of the best is also one of the most common. MySQL (pronounced "my ess queue el") is not only a robust database engine, but is distributed under an Open Source Software license, and is essentially free to you or your hosting service.

Another advantage of MySQL is that it implements the industry-standard SQL language as the interface to the database. This means that the programs you write (or PCV Software writes for you) to create and maintain the information stored in the database are not specific to MySQL, and therefore should work on any other database that also implements SQL if you decide to re-host your site on another server.

When deciding on a hosting service, the availability of an included MySQL database should be an important factor in your decision. While your site may initially consist only of static, rarely-changing HTML pages, should it grow to include web applications it is almost certain that you will need the capability of a database to support those applications. By selecting a host with MySQL support, you will insure a seamless (and painless) transition to the web application environment.