What's the difference between MySQL and phpMyAdmin?

What is mysql?

mysql is a server running on TCP, but not on HTTP, in installations like Xampp and Wamp it is not directly connected to Apache or PHP, it is actually a database server This can be installed on a different computer from the same network or from an external network that is accessible and located on a different port than HTTP.

It does not have folder navigation Just like HTTP servers it stays on a different port, while Apache, Ngnix, Lighttpd are usually on ports like 80, 8000, 8080, 9000, or Mysql on most of the time it is on port 3306.

When dynamic languages or softwares access mysql, they actually only send "commands" to the mysql server via TCP, similar to the "terminal" commands (you can install mysql on a machine and use it as a client to access a server mysql, being able to be in the same machine or not).

What is phpmyadmin?

phpmyadmin is not a server, it is a "manager" written in php and html ie it is an application and not should be used by other applications accessible to other users, it is a tool that should only be used by the database administrator and sometimes by who keeps the scripts (eg php), it is not part of mysql, it is not a data bank, it is just a tool to facilitate the management of the database and there are alternatives for it.

Applications like PHP do not connect to it, it's an application that runs alongside Apache and PHP and the only relationship with mysql is that it (phpmyadmin) connects to mysql at the time to run QUERIES , as well as a normal web page that uses a database.

As the site itself says link :

  

A tool written in PHP intended to handle the MySQL administration over the WWW.

     

translating: It is a tool written in PHP intended to deal with the administration of MySQL on the WWW.

Extra:

To know the difference of Xampp, Wamp, EasyPHP read the following question:

• What is the difference between Xampp, Wamp, EasyPHP, Zwamp and PHP?