A Practical Evaluation of PHP Integration with Microsoft SQL Server and Performance Comparison with MySQL in Web Application Development

In recent years, the selection of an appropriate database management system has become a critical factor in web application development, particularly for systems that handle large volumes of data and complex queries. While MySQL is widely used in many web-based projects due to its simplicity and open-source nature, Microsoft SQL Server provides advanced features such as stored procedures, transaction management, indexing mechanisms, and enhanced security, which make it suitable for enterprise-level applications. This study presents a practical and experimental evaluation of integrating PHP-based web applications with Microsoft SQL Server and compares its performance with MySQL under similar conditions. The research methodology is based on real implementation scenarios, including Create, Read, Update, and Delete (CRUD) operations, multi-table JOIN queries, stored procedure execution, and transaction handling. All experiments were conducted using identical datasets and test environments to ensure fairness and repeatability of results. The findings indicate that SQL Server demonstrates superior performance in complex query execution and reporting tasks, particularly when optimized using indexes and stored procedures. In contrast, MySQL remains a suitable option for smaller-scale applications with simpler data structures. The results of this study provide practical insights for web developers and system designers when selecting a database management system based on project size, performance requirements, and scalability needs.