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MySQL Advanced Features

Advanced MySQL concepts including optimization, transactions, stored procedures, JSON, and window functions

15 min read
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New to SQL? Start Here First!

This sheet covers MySQL-specific advanced features. If you're new to SQL or need a refresher on basic SQL commands, we recommend starting with our SQL fundamentals sheet first.

Start with SQL Fundamentals

MySQL Data Types & Storage

MySQL-specific data types and storage engines

MySQL Data Types

Common data types and their MySQL specifics

📄 Codesql
🟢 Essential - Choose right type for storage efficiency
💡 VARCHAR(255) is optimal for indexing
📌 TIMESTAMP has 2038 limit, use DATETIME for future dates
⚡ ENUM is fast but hard to modify later
⚠️ TEXT types can't have default values
datatypesmysql

Storage Engines

InnoDB vs MyISAM and other storage engines

📄 Codesql
🟢 Essential - InnoDB is default and recommended
💡 Use InnoDB for data integrity (transactions)
⚠️ MyISAM doesn't support foreign keys
📌 MEMORY engine loses data on restart
⚡ InnoDB has better crash recovery
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JSON Support

Working with JSON data in MySQL 5.7+

📄 Codesql
💡 JSON support added in MySQL 5.7
📌 ->> extracts and unquotes, -> keeps quotes
⚡ Index generated columns for JSON queries
🟢 Essential for flexible schema needs
⚠️ JSON validation happens on insert
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Indexes & Performance

Optimize MySQL query performance

Index Types

Different index types and when to use them

📄 Codesql
🟢 Essential - Indexes make queries fast
💡 Composite index column order matters
📌 Prefix indexes save space for long strings
⚡ InnoDB tables cluster around PRIMARY KEY
⚠️ Too many indexes slow down writes
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Query Optimization

Analyze and optimize slow queries

📄 Codesql
💡 EXPLAIN shows query execution plan
📌 Look for "Using filesort" and "Using temporary"
⚡ Performance Schema provides detailed metrics
⚠️ Query cache removed in MySQL 8.0
🟢 Essential for finding performance issues
performanceoptimization

Partitioning

Split large tables for better performance

📄 Codesql
💡 Partitioning helps with very large tables
📌 Queries can eliminate partitions for speed
⚡ Easy to archive old data by dropping partitions
⚠️ Foreign keys not supported with partitioning
🔗 Related: partition pruning for performance
partitioningperformance

Transactions & Locking

ACID compliance and concurrent access control

Transaction Control

Manage transactions and isolation levels

📄 Codesql
🟢 Essential - Ensure data consistency
💡 InnoDB default is REPEATABLE READ
⚠️ Long transactions can cause deadlocks
📌 Use savepoints for complex transactions
⚡ Lower isolation = better performance
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Locking Mechanisms

Row-level and table-level locking strategies

📄 Codesql
💡 InnoDB uses row-level locking by default
📌 FOR UPDATE prevents other transactions from reading
⚡ SKIP LOCKED great for job queues
⚠️ Table locks block all other operations
🔗 Related: innodb_deadlock_detect setting
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Stored Procedures & Functions

Server-side programming with MySQL

Stored Procedures

Create and use stored procedures

📄 Codesql
💡 Procedures can have IN, OUT, INOUT parameters
📌 Use DELIMITER to change statement delimiter
⚡ Stored procedures reduce network traffic
⚠️ Harder to version control than app code
🟢 Essential for complex business logic
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Functions & Triggers

User-defined functions and automatic triggers

📄 Codesql
💡 Functions must return a value, procedures don't
📌 DETERMINISTIC means same input = same output
⚡ Triggers auto-execute on table events
⚠️ Triggers can make debugging harder
🔗 Related: events for scheduled tasks
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Replication & Backup

High availability and disaster recovery

Replication Setup

Configure master-slave replication

📄 Codesql
🟢 Essential for high availability
💡 Slaves can be used for read scaling
📌 Monitor replication lag closely
⚠️ Writes only go to master
🔗 Related: ProxySQL for read/write splitting
replicationhigh-availability

Backup & Restore

Backup strategies and recovery procedures

📄 Codesql
🟢 Essential - Regular backups are critical
💡 Test restore procedures regularly
📌 --single-transaction for InnoDB consistency
⚡ Binary backups faster for large databases
⚠️ Store backups offsite for disaster recovery
backuprestoredisaster-recovery

Administration & Security

User management and security best practices

User Management

Create and manage MySQL users and permissions

📄 Codesql
🟢 Essential - Proper user management is critical
💡 Use specific hosts instead of % when possible
⚠️ Never use root for application connections
📌 Grant minimum required privileges
🔗 Related: MySQL roles for group permissions
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Performance Monitoring

Monitor MySQL performance and health

📄 Codesql
💡 Monitor buffer pool hit rate (should be >95%)
📌 Use performance_schema for detailed metrics
⚡ PROCESSLIST helps find blocking queries
🟢 Essential for production monitoring
🔗 Related: MySQL Enterprise Monitor, Percona Monitoring
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