Tag: database

MySQL invisible indexes let you test whether an index is safe to drop without a destructive change. Here is how PHP and Laravel developers can use them.

How MySQL composite indexes really work, why column order decides everything, and how covering indexes skip table lookups entirely for PHP developers.

Generated columns and functional indexes let MySQL index expressions, JSON paths, and case-insensitive lookups that would otherwise force a full table scan.

MySQL 9.7 LTS ships the Hypergraph Optimizer, free enterprise replication tools, JSON Duality Views DML, and officially ends MySQL 8.0 support.

MySQL window functions let the database do ranking, running totals, and row comparisons that most PHP devs still handle in application code.

The slow query log only shows you part of the picture. Learn to use MySQL Performance Schema to uncover lock waits, I/O lag, and query patterns your logs miss.

Laravel 12.8 introduces automatic relationship eager loading that silently eliminates N+1 query problems — no more forgetting `with()` on every query.

MySQL 9's native VECTOR data type lets PHP developers build semantic search and AI similarity features without spinning up a separate vector database.

Recursive CTEs in MySQL let you query trees, org charts, and nested categories in a single query. Here's how to use them effectively with PHP.

JSON columns in MySQL are powerful but misunderstood. Here's a practical guide for PHP developers on when JSON makes sense, how to query it efficiently, and the indexing tricks that keep things fast.