The popular open-source relational database management
system MySQL is close to getting a long-overdue makeover with the launch of a
new release candidate that’s designed to make the software work better with
modern applications.
For the uninitiated, MySQL is an open-source RDBMS for
creating, updating and administering databases that make use of the Structured
Query Language, which is the industry standard for adding, accessing and managing
content stored in them. MySQL actually fulfills a wide range of purposes, some
of the most common being data warehousing, e-commerce and event logging
applications. Its most common use, however, is simply to help manage and
organize web databases.
The release candidate for MySQL 8.0 is being pushed out by
Oracle Corp., which has led its development ever since 2010. Oracle got its
hands on MySQL when it acquired Sun Microsystems Inc., which had previously
bought the Swedish company that originally designed MySQL, called MySQL AB, in
2008.
Oracle said in a blog post that the release MySQL 8.0 is
being designed with modern apps in mind. Oracle defines modern applications as
those that are “mobile-first,” and the new release candidate comes with a bunch
of new capabilities aimed at addressing these.
Probably the most important new feature is improved
JavaScript Object Notation support. JSON, as it’s better known, is a
lightweight data-interchange format that’s designed to be easy for humans to
read and write. Oracle said JSON is able to add greater flexibility for
application developers so they can respond and update their modern apps faster.
Another important upgrade is support for Unicode 9.0, which is the industry
standard for using different languages and scripts, by which each letter,
digit, or symbol is assigned a unique numeric value that applies across
different platforms and programs.
Oracle is inviting developers to test the MySQL 8.0 release
candidate today, with the source code available to download now on GitHub, and
binaries available from dev.mysql.com.
