6.1 Introduction to MySQL Connector/Python

MySQL Connector/Python enables Python programs to access MySQL databases, using an API that is compliant with the Python Database API Specification v2.0 (PEP 249).

For notes detailing the changes in each release of Connector/Python, see MySQL Connector/Python Release Notes.

MySQL Connector/Python includes support for:

• Almost all features provided by MySQL Server version 8.0 and higher.

• Connector/Python supports X DevAPI. For X DevAPI specific documentation, see X DevAPI User Guide.

  Note

  X DevAPI support was separated into its own package (mysqlx-connector-python) in Connector/Python 8.3.0. For related information, see Section 6.4, “Connector/Python Installation”.

• Converting parameter values back and forth between Python and MySQL data types, for example Python datetime and MySQL DATETIME. You can turn automatic conversion on for convenience, or off for optimal performance.

• All MySQL extensions to standard SQL syntax.

• Protocol compression, which enables compressing the data stream between the client and server.

• Connections using TCP/IP sockets and on Unix using Unix sockets.

• Secure TCP/IP connections using SSL.

• Self-contained driver. Connector/Python does not require the MySQL client library or any Python modules outside the standard library.

For information about which versions of Python can be used with different versions of MySQL Connector/Python, see Section 6.3, “Connector/Python Versions”.

Note

Connector/Python does not support the old MySQL Server authentication methods, which means that MySQL versions prior to 4.1 will not work.