I opened my MySQL BR Conf 2026 talk creating a new data type that stock MySQL doesn’t have: ROT13. … OK, admittedly, it’s a silly type. With a ROT13 column, you insert plain strings and read back plain strings, but the table stores scrambled text. … OK, it’s very *very* silly. But the point of this example isn’t to convince you extensions are useful; it’s to show a tiny extension that allows exploring design choices we made in designing the VEF (VillageSQL Extension Framework).
What the talk covers
- Simpler functions and aggregates. VDF’s (VEF-Defined Functions) resemble MySQL UDF’s (User-Defined Functions), but are easier to write. I explore how we made it both more ergonomic in C++ and also how we make it harder to mess up.
- Types …