I’m new to Node.js development and coming from a background in PHP programming. In PHP, I always worked with MySQL databases for storing and managing data. Now I want to learn how to integrate MySQL with my Node.js applications. What’s the best way to establish a connection between Node.js and MySQL? Are there any specific libraries or packages I should use?
Coming from PHP three years ago, I’d start with the basic mysql package before jumping to mysql2. Learn the fundamentals first without getting buried in promises. Once you’re comfortable with connections and basic queries, switch to mysql2 for better performance. Connection timeout management threw me for a loop - PHP isolates each request, but Node.js keeps connections alive. You’ll need proper timeout and reconnection logic. If your project gets complex later, check out Sequelize ORM, but master raw connections first.
i totally agree. mysql2 is really great! just do npm install mysql2. and yeah, remember to manage your connections and handle errors early on to avoid future issues!
honestly, just grab knex.js if u want smthng between raw mysql and a full orm. migrations r way easier than managing db changes manually like u probably did in php. the query builder syntax feels more natural when ur switching over.
I switched from PHP a few years ago too. Go with mysql2 - it has built-in promise support and prepared statements. Set up a connection pool instead of individual connections, you’ll get way better performance. The biggest adjustment? Everything’s async. PHP’s synchronous style won’t help you here, so get comfortable with callbacks or async/await. Don’t forget to use dotenv for your database credentials. The query syntax is familiar enough, but that async nature takes some getting used to.
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