There are different database backends supported by PHP. However, most of us probably use MySQL and the books on PHP mostly use MySQL as the backend database.

These are the currently supported database format:

1. dBase
2. FrontBase (functional since DB 1.7.0)
3. InterBase (functional since DB 1.7.0)
4. Informix
5. Mini SQL (functional since DB 1.7.0)6. Microsoft SQL Server (NOT for Sybase. Compile PHP --with-mssql)
6. MySQL (for MySQL <= 4.0)
7. MySQL (for MySQL >= 4.1) (requires PHP 5) (since DB 1.6.3)
8.Oracle 7/8/9
9. ODBC (Open Database Connectivity)
10. PostgreSQL
11. SQLite
12. Sybase

Source: PHP.net- DSN

Now anyone, using database format other than MySQL, may like to share his experience with us.

Regards,
Sid

Currently I use mySQL. It's the most common, so obviously a lot of people use it. I've read a couple of books about Oracle and SQLite, but those apparently only taught me how to use the databases and not whether or not they were actually good. They don't seem to be very common, so I don't use them, but are they better than mySQL?

Hi, since i work with PHP i use MySql as my database backend and always with good results, basically because it is the most supported database in the web hosting environment.

But i'm a curious person, and because of this i made some tests with others databases like access, dbase and ms sql server, basically to evaluate its performance and to know how much difficult is to use with PHP, and as a result of this, i wanna say that MySql is the better choice to work with PHP.

BTW, i use phpMyAdmin as my primary tool to administer MySql's databases.

Best regards,

I use pretty much what I'm given I don't have my own server and can't get to choose which DBMS to use. I don't shy away from any of them but MySQL seems to be by far the most common that's available. Being open source might have a lot to do with that.

The best choice when using PHP is to use MySQL mostly because the developers at PHP and MySQL work together to make the interaction of the two systems work to the best of their abilities.

Even though PHP does support other database systems the one you will get the best results from would be MySQL.

Hi

I have tried using mySQL. I think that it is quite common and useful. One of the advantages for mySQL is that it is free (open source). Therefore, I would recommend you to use it too.

Normally people who use PHP will eventually use mySQL.

For more information about this, you can log on to http://www.mysql.com