MySQL multiple count in single table with different where clause

Sometimes we want to do multiple count task on specific table.

Here’s the worst we could do, we doubling the job, pathetic

$q1 = mysql_query( "select count(column) from table where column = 'x' ");
    echo( mysql_result( $q1, 0 ) );
$q2 = mysql_query( "select count(column) from table where column = 'y' ");
    echo( mysql_result( $q2, 0 ) );

Then we thought this could be better, using subquery

select
    (select count(column) from table where column = 'x') as count1,
    (select count(column) from table where column = 'y') as count2
from table

that’s also pretty stupid and wasting.
but there’s another idea..

select
    sum(if(column='x',1,0)) as count1,
    sum(if(column='y',1,0)) as count2,
from table

rather than use where clause, we could do if statement that add +1 when meet condition – then sum it