MySQL Features Timeline

This timeline shows as of what version MySQL features were added, removed and changed. This is a work in progress so many features are missing. The MySQL manual is the authoritative source for all feature additions, removals and changes. To add a feature, contact me.

MySQL version	Features
	Added	Changed
5.4.2		`InnoDB plugin` replaced `built-in InnoDB` storage engine
5.1.38	`InnoDB plugin`
5.1.33	`IBMDB2I` storage engine
5.1.31	`Queries` to `SHOW STATUS`	`Questions` in `SHOW STATUS` includes only statements sent to the server by clients and no longer includes statements executed within stored programs, unlike the Queries variable
5.1.24	`SHOW PROFILES` (enterprise branch)
5.1.12	`--add-user` `--general_log`	Can enable/disable general query log at runtime
5.1.8	Mixed replication
5.1.7	mysql_upgrade program
5.1.6	Partition pruning
5.1.5	Row-based replication
5.1	Plugin API	`BDB` storage engine removed
5.0.76	`Queries` to `SHOW STATUS`
5.0.72		`Questions` in `SHOW STATUS` includes only statements sent to the server by clients and no longer includes statements executed within stored programs, unlike the Queries variable
5.0.32	`SHOW PROFILES` (community branch)
5.0.19	mysql_upgrade program
5.0.13		`GREATEST()` returns `NULL` if any argument is `NULL` instead of if all arguments are `NULL` `LEAST()` returns `NULL` if any argument is `NULL` instead of if all arguments are `NULL`
5.0.7	Prepared statement placeholders for `LIMIT`
5.0.5		`BIT data type` support added to `MEMORY`, `InnoDB`, `BDB`, and `NDBCLUSTER` storage engines
5.0.3	FEDERATED storage engine `STDDEV_POP()` `STDDEV_SAMP()` `VAR_POP()` `VAR_SAMP()`	`BIT data type` stores bit-field values, no longer interpreted as `TINYINT (1)` `DECIMAL` and `NUMERIC` data types stored in binary format instead of as strings
5.0.2	Triggers	`HAVING` can refer to columns in the `SELECT` list and outer subqueries, in addition to columns in GROUP BY and aggregate functions (SQL standard)
5.0.1	Views	`SHOW COLUMNS` shows views
5.0	Cursors `ARCHIVE` storage engine `INFORMATION_SCHEMA`	`ISAM` storage engine removed
4.1.11	`BLACKHOLE` storage engine	`ANSI` SQL mode no longer includes `ONLY_FULL_GROUP_BY`
4.1.8	`WITH CONSISTENT SNAPSHOT` clause to `START TRANSACTION`
4.1.4	`CVS` storage engine	`SHOW PROCESSLIST` displays `Rolling back` in the `State` column
4.1.2	`ENGINE` to `CREATE TABLE`, synonym for `TYPE`
4.1.1	`CHECKSUM TABLE` `BIT_XOR()` `NO_AUTO_VALUE_ON_ZERO` `NO_FIELD_OPTIONS` `NO_KEY_OPTIONS` `NO_TABLE_OPTIONS`
4.1	Subqueries `SHOW WARNINGS` `LIKE` to `CREATE TABLE` `CRC32()` `GROUP_CONCAT()` `VARIANCE()` Unicode support	`COMMENT` for `CREATE TABLE` made operational (allowed but ignored in earlier versions) `PASSWORD()` hash value length increased from 16 to 41 bytes Character column lengths interpreted in character units instead of bytes `HEAP` storage engine renamed `MEMORY`, but `HEAP` still works `SHOW FULL COLUMNS` displays any per-column collation and comments
4.0.18	`ENGINE` to `CREATE TABLE`, synonym for `TYPE`
4.0.15	`NO_DIR_IN_CREATE`
4.0.14		`InnoDB` storage engine supports indexing on BLOB and TEXT columns
4.0.2	`SHA1()` `NO_UNSIGNED_SUBTRACTION`	`MEMORY` storage engine supports indexes on columns that can have NULL values `VARCHAR` column length range changed from 1-255 to 0-255
4.0.1	Query cache	`MEMORY` storage engine supports indexes on columns that can have NULL values `VARCHAR` column length range changed from 1-255 to 0-255
4.0	`UNION` to `SELECT`	`ANSI_QUOTES` `IGNORE_SPACE` `ONLY_FULL_GROUP_BY` `PIPES_AS_CONCAT` `REAL_AS_FLOAT`
3.23.23	Full-text indexing and searching `FULL` to `SHOW COLUMNS`