Changed defaults between MySQL 5.6 and 5.7

MySQL 5.7 comes with many changes. Some of them are better explained than others.

I wanted to see how many changes I could get by comparing SHOW VARIABLES in MySQL 5.6 and 5.7.
The most notable ones are:

• binlog_format: the default is now ROW. This variable affects the format of the binary log, whether you use it as a backup complement or for replication, the change means bigger binary logs and possibly side effects.
• binlog_error_action now defaults to ABORT_SERVER. If the server cannot write to the binary log, rather than continuing its work without logging, it shuts down. This could be a desirable course of action, but better be prepared for the eventuality.
• innodb_strict_mode is enabled by default, which is probably a good thing, but it means that previously accepted events will now generate an error instead than a warning.
• sql_mode is now STRICT by default. While many well prepared users will be pleased with this change, which was advocated as best practice by some DBAs, the practical outcome is that several exiting applications may break because of unclean input.
• sync_binlog, which affects data safety but also server performance is enabled.

The table below shows the full list.

VARIABLE	5.6.26	5.7.8
binlog_error_action	IGNORE_ERROR	ABORT_SERVER
binlog_format	STATEMENT	ROW
binlog_gtid_simple_recovery	OFF	ON
eq_range_index_dive_limit	10	200
innodb_buffer_pool_dump_at_shutdown	OFF	ON
innodb_buffer_pool_instances	8	1
innodb_buffer_pool_load_at_startup	OFF	ON
innodb_checksum_algorithm	innodb	crc32
innodb_file_format	Antelope	Barracuda
innodb_large_prefix	OFF	ON
innodb_log_buffer_size	8388608	16777216
innodb_purge_threads	1	4
innodb_strict_mode	OFF	ON
log_warnings	1	2
performance_schema_accounts_size	100	–1
performance_schema_hosts_size	100	–1
performance_schema_max_cond_instances	1382	–1
performance_schema_max_file_instances	2557	–1
performance_schema_max_mutex_instances	5755	–1
performance_schema_max_rwlock_instances	3138	–1
performance_schema_max_socket_instances	230	–1
performance_schema_max_statement_classes	168	191
performance_schema_max_table_handles	616	–1
performance_schema_max_table_instances	684	–1
performance_schema_max_thread_instances	288	–1
performance_schema_setup_actors_size	100	–1
performance_schema_setup_objects_size	100	–1
performance_schema_users_size	100	–1
pseudo_thread_id	5	7
slave_net_timeout	3600	60
sql_mode	NO_ENGINE_SUBSTITUTION	ONLY_FULL_GROUP_BY, STRICT_TRANS_TABLES, NO_ZERO_IN_DATE, NO_ZERO_DATE, ERROR_FOR_DIVISION_BY_ZERO, NO_AUTO_CREATE_USER, NO_ENGINE_SUBSTITUTION
sync_binlog	0	1
table_open_cache_instances	1	16
warning_count	0	1

I don't know if the other changes can have the effect of breaking existing apps. Please comment on this post if you know of possible side effects related to the above variables.