PyMySQL vs mysql-connector: What are the differences?

PyMySQL and mysql-connector are both Python libraries used for connecting to and interacting with MySQL databases. Let's explore the key differences between them.

1. Connection and Cursor Creation: In PyMySQL, connections and cursors are created separately using Connection() and Cursor() functions. On the other hand, in mysql-connector, connections and cursors can be created using the connect() function and then accessing the cursor() method of the connection object.

2. Parameter Placeholder Style: PyMySQL uses %s as the parameter placeholder style, similar to the %s style used in Python's C-style string formatting. On the contrary, mysql-connector uses a different style, where parameter placeholders are in the form of %(param_name)s.

3. Casing of Field Names: PyMySQL, by default, returns the column names in lowercase format. In contrast, mysql-connector preserves the casing of column names as they are defined in the database, which includes any uppercase characters.

4. Retrieving Auto-Incremented IDs: When inserting data into a table with an auto-incremented ID column, PyMySQL returns the last inserted ID using the lastrowid attribute of the cursor object. However, mysql-connector offers a more convenient approach by providing the lastrowid property of the connection object itself.

5. Handling NULL Values: PyMySQL automatically converts NULL values to None when retrieving data from the database. On the other hand, mysql-connector does not perform this conversion, and NULL values are retained as they are.

6. Required Libraries: PyMySQL requires the pure-python-mysqlclient library to be installed, whereas mysql-connector is a pure Python implementation and does not require any additional libraries.

In summary, PyMySQL is a pure Python library that offers simplicity and compatibility across different Python versions, while mysql-connector is a MySQL-specific library developed by Oracle that provides more advanced features and optimizations for working with MySQL databases.