PHP 5.3 alpha1 including MySQL native driver released by php.net

[Johannes Schlüter]

Dear MySQL and PHP users,

The first alpha version of PHP 5.3 was made available for download by
the PHP Development Team. It contains the latest version of the MySQL
native driver for PHP (mysqlnd) and improved versions of the PHP MySQL
extensions ext/mysql, ext/mysqli and PDO_MYSQL (working title:
PDO_MYSQLND).

You can download PHP 5.3alpha1 source tarballs from:

   http://downloads.php.net/johannes/

Windows builds will soon be available from:

   http://downloads.php.net/pierre/

The MySQL native driver for PHP is a superior alternative for PHP users 
over the MySQL Client Library. All three PHP MySQL extensions can either
be compiled against the generic MySQL Client Library or against mysqlnd.
mysqlnd is tightly integrated into PHP and optimized for PHP.

We ask you to try out the MySQL native driver for PHP: it is easier to 
compile as it's part of the PHP download package and can offer better 
performance and require less memory.

PHP 5.3alpha1 also contains the latest beta version of what was called
PDO_MYSQLND before. PDO_MYSQLND is the working title of a project to add
mysqlnd support to the PDO (PHP Data Objects) driver for MySQL
(PDO_MYSQL). During the upgrade of PDO_MYSQL to optionally support
mysqlnd, numerous bugs have been fixed.

Further information:

  MySQL native driver for PHP -
  http://forge.mysql.com/wiki/PHP_MYSQLND

  PDO_MYSQLND project -
  http://forge.mysql.com/wiki/PHP_PDO_MYSQLND

  PHP 5.3alpha1
  http://www.php.net/archive/2008.php#id2008-08-01-1

We appreciate your feedback on the MySQL native driver for PHP. For 
general discussions related to PHP 5.3alpha1 please use the appropriate 
mailing lists at http://www.php.net/mailing-lists.php or report bugs to
the bug tracker from the PHP project at http://bugs.php.net/ . MySQL
specific questions can be discussed on the MySQL PHP forum at
http://forums.mysql.com/list.php?52 or on the MySQL PHP mailing list,
see http://lists.mysql.com/php .

-- 
Johannes Schlüter - MySQL Engineering, Connectors and Client Connectivity

Sun Microsystems GmbH, Sonnenallee 1, 85551 Kirchheim-Heimstetten
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