In very general terms, SQL = Structured Query Language, it make sup the standard interface and commands which define the communication protocol with the Relational Database Management Systems. In other words, it is the standard language which is a set of commands which are standard across so many RDBMS.
Now MYSQL is a Open Source RDBMS. Other RDBMS are Sybase / MS SQL and ORACLE among others.
SQL is the interface language whereas MySQL is a RDBMS which uses that SQL interface protocol or syntax.
Yeah, maybe 'SQL' is referring to MSSQL. If it isn't, then SQL is a language whereas MySQL is a database server that 'speaks' a form of the 'SQL' language.
Compare "SQL vs. MySQL vs. MSSQL" with "'The English Language' vs. 'An Australian that speaks English' vs. 'An American that speaks English'".
Absolutely agree chicker... Krossat said it a lot more eloquently than I did (we must have been writing at the same time as that reply wasn't there when I was writing).
As far as "where I was going". Who knows? I'm still waiting for more coffee
So are various hybrids of Linux, but we still call them Open Source GNU dont we ? It comes under the GNU GPL, but if commercially used in corporates, it comes with a price. Thats true for awmost all of the applications / OS's, corporate / enterprise versions are paid. What u might be meaning to say is that there are two licenses for MySQL viz. Free and Paid. The kernel (which is the same for both licenses) is still open source.
Also Open source just doesent mean "freeware". Open source simply means the App's / OS's core engine / kernel can be developed further by anyone and everyone and can be included into the App/OS if found viable by the company who developed the Application / OS. This also means that a programmer can develop apps ON that RDBMS / OS / Platform without basic restrictions.
Heres a termed definition:
Open source is a set of principles and practices that promote access to the design and production of goods and knowledge. The term is most commonly applied to the source code of software that is available to the general public with relaxed or non-existent intellectual property restrictions. This allows users to create software content through incremental individual effort or through collaboration.