MySQL has introduced the JSON datatype https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.7/en/json.html. I don' tbelieve it is availale in MariaDB.  The slides here http://www.slideshare.net/blueskarlsson/using-json-with-mariadb-and-mysql tell that dynamic columns should be used with JSON and MariaDB. 

Also how much do the functions in both servers for manipulating JSON differ? Are they just named diferently in some cases but doing basically the same? What manipultion options does one have that the other has not (and vice versa).

Also :does MariaDB have any plans to move closer to MySQL in 10.2 (such as introducing the JSON datatype and related syntax and funtionalities, for instance)?

We would like to add JSON handling capabilites in our (SQLyog) GUI client soon.  But the 'uneven' implementation in MariaDB and MySQL is indeed a problem.

I think the reply to questions above would be approproate for a Blog, BTW. (@Anders - something for you?)

-- Peter Laursen

-- Webyog