Performance
- mysql2:
The
mysql2package offers better performance, especially when dealing with large datasets and high-concurrency scenarios. It includes optimizations for handling binary data and supports streaming results, which reduces memory usage for large queries. - mysql:
The
mysqlpackage is efficient for most use cases but may not be optimized for handling large datasets or high-concurrency environments. Performance can degrade with complex queries and large result sets.
Prepared Statements
- mysql2:
The
mysql2package has built-in support for prepared statements with automatic parameter binding, making it more secure and efficient. This feature helps prevent SQL injection attacks and simplifies the process of executing parameterized queries. - mysql:
The
mysqlpackage supports basic prepared statements, but its implementation is not as robust as newer clients. It requires manual handling of parameter binding, which can lead to potential security issues if not done correctly.
Promise Support
- mysql2:
The
mysql2package natively supports promises and async/await syntax, making it easier to write clean and maintainable asynchronous code. This feature is particularly beneficial for modern JavaScript applications that leverage async programming. - mysql:
The
mysqlpackage primarily uses a callback-based API, which can lead to callback hell in complex applications. While there are third-party libraries that add promise support, it is not built-in.
Binary Data Handling
- mysql2:
The
mysql2package provides improved handling of binary data, including better support for BLOBs and the ability to stream binary data directly. This makes it a more reliable choice for applications that need to work with binary files or large binary objects. - mysql:
The
mysqlpackage has limited support for binary data, which can lead to issues when working with BLOBs or other binary types. Developers need to implement custom handling for binary data in their applications.
Streaming Results
- mysql2:
The
mysql2package offers more efficient streaming of results, allowing applications to process large datasets without loading them entirely into memory. This feature is particularly useful for applications that need to handle large queries or process data in real-time. - mysql:
The
mysqlpackage supports streaming results, but it is not as efficient as newer implementations. Streaming large result sets can lead to increased memory usage if not handled properly.
Ease of Use: Code Examples
- mysql2:
Basic usage of
mysql2package with promisesconst mysql = require('mysql2/promise'); async function main() { const connection = await mysql.createConnection({ host: 'localhost', user: 'root', password: 'password', database: 'test' }); const [rows] = await connection.query('SELECT * FROM users'); console.log(rows); await connection.end(); } main().catch(console.error); - mysql:
Basic usage of
mysqlpackageconst mysql = require('mysql'); const connection = mysql.createConnection({ host: 'localhost', user: 'root', password: 'password', database: 'test' }); connection.connect((err) => { if (err) throw err; console.log('Connected!'); connection.query('SELECT * FROM users', (err, results) => { if (err) throw err; console.log(results); connection.end(); }); });
