MySQL JSON Data Use Guide

MySQL 5.7 provides a JSON data type. Previously you could store JSON formatted data in some sort of text field but then you would have to use REGEX which would reduce the quality of your work life, make your grumpy, and would be frustrated when you had to maintain it. Now you have over two dozen functions, can create materialized columns from JSON data that can be indexed for fast searchers, and can output data in JSON. This is a quick introduction for PHP developers to learn to incorporate this new data type with plenty of programming examples.