How MySQL's SELECT FOR UPDATE SKIP LOCKED lets PHP workers pull jobs from a queue table concurrently without deadlocks, and how Laravel already uses it.
MySQL's LATERAL derived tables solve the top-N-per-group problem cleanly. Here is how PHP and Laravel developers use them with joinLateral and raw SQL.
lazysql is a fast, Vim-friendly terminal UI for MySQL and PostgreSQL. Here is how PHP developers browse, query, and edit databases without leaving the shell.
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.
Generated columns and functional indexes let MySQL index expressions, JSON paths, and case-insensitive lookups that would otherwise force a full table scan.
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.
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.