MySQL provides a set of official MySQL Connectors for several popular development frameworks and languages like Node.js, .Net, Python, Java, C, C++ and more.

At the same time, we also encourage community developers to create native connectors for their favorite languages. To improve the process and encourage creating a community connector going forward, and allow for more rapid new feature support within the MySQL communications protocol, we created a new protocol called the MySQL X Protocol.

The new X Protocol leverages current industry standards. One of those standards in use is protobuf (more formally know as Google Protobuffers). The .proto formatted files provide the complete message definitions of the X Protocol. Another feature of protobuf is the automatic code generation based on those .proto files across a variety of languages for use in community developed connectors for MySQL.

These language specific generated files can be used with no restrictions under your own terms.

The X Protocol use of .proto makes our protocol design clear and concise, no longer requiring the efforts previously required – no longer will you need to directly analyze our message format. In addition to the layout of the message format, the .proto also defines and documents message sequence and flow between the connectors and the MySQL server. The information defined in the .proto file makes it easy to implement X protocol support in connector code. As those who have written a MySQL connector know, coding the protocol is only a small part of the effort required.

Finally, you can focus on the big task of creating a MySQL community connector - designing apis, coding, testing, selecting your license, packaging, documentation. And, promoting and speaking about your work.

X Protocol example

The following figure shows usage of the X Protocol between MYSQLXSHELL and MySQL Server 5.7.12 or higher with the X Plugin enabled. The object X Protocol on this figure represents rather some concept than an implementation object. The aim is to show its role in the process of information exchange between the client and the server.

X Protocol Overview

The documentation is based on the source files such as: