# Introduction

The MaxDB PHP extension allows you to access the functionality provided by MaxDB 7.5.0 and above. More information about the MaxDB Database server can be found at » http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/maxdb.

The MaxDB PHP extension is compatible to the MySQL mysqli extension. There are only minor differences in the behaviour of some functions due to the differences of the underlying database servers, MaxDB and MySQL.

The main differences to mysqli are in the following functions:

- maxdb_character_set_name() - Returns only ascii or unicode.
- maxdb_get_client_info() - Returns a different version string.
- maxdb_get_client_version() - Returns a different version string.
- maxdb_get_host_info() - Returns localhost or hostname.
- maxdb_get_server_info() - Returns a different version string.
- maxdb_get_server_version() - Returns a different version string.
- maxdb_kill() - Only disconnects the session.
- maxdb_multi_query() - Can not handle multiple SQL statements.
- maxdb_next_result() - Function returns always `FALSE`.
- maxdb_options() - Supports a different set of options.
- maxdb_report() - Supports a different report mode.
- maxdb_stat() - Returns a different system status string.
- maxdb_stmt_store_result() - Is not necessary for MaxDB.
- maxdb_store_result() - Is not necessary for MaxDB.

Documentation for MaxDB can be found at » http://maxdb.sap.com/documentation/.