By MySQL (and its fork MariaDB) have been used for many many years, especially by web application developers. MySQL has always been more widely used than PostgreSQL, mainly because MySQL is easier to manage and maintain. However it is not a secret that PostgreSQL outperforms MySQL in many ways.
The fact that developers likely felt more comfortable using MySQL led to web applications supporting MySQL and MariaDB, but PostgreSQL is often not mentioned.
But now there is an exciting announcement from the PostgreSQL world!
MySQL compatibility in extension
During the Postgres Conference 2024, a new PostgreSQL extension was introduced, which can be explained as a MySQL translator. From the statement:
PostgreSQL extension we are developing, which enables MySQL applications to run on PostgreSQL without any code changes by supporting the MySQL wire protocol, SQL syntax, and procedural language.
Jonah Harris from Nextgres
The presentation, which can be downloaded as PDF, talks about adding the PostgreSQL benefits (such as better performance or large database support) without having to change the application itself.
The MySQL extension will be listening on the default MySQL port (3306) and a translator takes care of the incoming SQL syntax. There are obviously a lot of benefits when combining the MySQL and PostgreSQL world:
When will the extension be ready?
The extension, which has no official name yet, will enter a public ALPHA phase in Q3 2024, followed by a BETA phase from September 2024 until the end of the year. According to the presented timeline, a General Availability (and production ready) extension should be available in 2025.
That's definitely exciting news!
