What is it: MySQL

MySQL is a database management system used by WordPress to store and retrieve all the information from your blog. Think of it this way. If your database is a workbook that WordPress uses to organize and store all of your website’s important data (publications, pages, images, etc.), MySQL is the company that created this special type of workbook.

MySQL is an open source relational database management system. It works like a server and allows several users to manage and create numerous databases. It is a central component of the LAMP stack of open source web application software used to build websites. LAMP stands for Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP. Most WordPress installations use the LAMP stack because it is open source and works perfectly with WordPress.

WordPress requires MySQL to store and retrieve all of its data, including post content, user profiles, and custom post types. Most web hosting providers already have MySQL installed on their web servers, as it is widely used in many open source web applications such as WordPress.

WordPress uses the PHP programming language to store and retrieve data from the MySQL database. To retrieve data from the database, WordPress runs SQL queries to dynamically generate content. SQL stands for Structured Query Language and is the programming language generally used to query databases.

For users who are not comfortable writing their own PHP and SQL scripts, most web hosting providers offer easy-to-use web applications for managing databases. One such web application is phpMyAdmin which allows users to manage their database using a web-based graphical interface. You can manipulate your tables visually while phpMyAdmin executes SQL queries for you.