Using spatial data from MySQL?

[Dave Nuttall]

I have a couple of shapefiles from which I can produce a simple map using
Mapserver5.x w/PHP Mapscript.

I have converted the same couple of shapefiles to MySQL (5.0.48) where they
become three tables resulting from using "shp2mysql.pl".

I would like to learn how to use the MySQL database instead of the shapefiles.

I'm not SURE, but from my reading of the limited tutorial/insights/how-to's,
there doesn't seem to be a Layer|Connectiontype that allows PHP and MySQL to
interact without OGR or Java.

Is that a correct understanding?

TIA.
Dave Nuttall
San Antonio, Texas