MySQL

Important MySQL Commands

Important MySQL commands reference: essential queries for database management. Master CRUD operations, joins, indexing, and administration tasks efficiently.

Here I am trying to give a full instant guide to Mysql commands that will help people for their easy usage.

To login (from unix shell) use -h only if needed.

[mysql dir]/bin/mysql -h hostname -u username -p password
Code

To login (from windows)

[mysql dir]/bin/mysql.exe -h hostname -u username -p password
Code

Create a database.

mysql> create database [databasename];
Code

List all databases on the server.

mysql> show databases;
Code

Switch to a database.

mysql> use [db name];
Code

To see all the tables in the db.

mysql> show tables;
Code

To see table’s field formats.

mysql> describe [table name];
Code

To delete a db.

mysql> drop database [database name];
Code

To delete a table.

mysql> drop table [table name];
Code

Show all data from a table.

mysql> SELECT \* FROM [table name];
Code

To return columns and column information.

mysql> show columns from [table name];
Code

Show particular rows with the given value.

mysql> SELECT \* FROM [table name] WHERE [field name] = "value";
Code

Show all records containing the name “Something” AND the phone number ‘0123456789’.

mysql> SELECT \* FROM [table name] WHERE name = "Something" AND phone_number = '0123456789';
Code

Show all records not containing the name “Something” AND the phone number ‘0123456789’ order by the phone_number field.

mysql> SELECT \* FROM [table name] WHERE name != "Something" AND phone_number = '0123456789' order by phone_number;
Code

Show all records starting with the letters ‘Something’ AND the phone number ‘0123456789’.

mysql> SELECT \* FROM [table name] WHERE name like "****Something%" AND phone_number = '0123456789';
Code

Show all records starting with letters ‘Something’ AND the phone number ‘0123456789’ limit to records 1 through 5.

mysql> SELECT \* FROM [table name] WHERE name like "****Something%" AND phone_number = '0123456789' limit 1,5;
Code

Use a regular expression to find records. Use “REGEXP BINARY” to force case-sensitivity. This finds any record beginning with a.

mysql> SELECT \* FROM [table name] WHERE rec RLIKE "^a";
Code

Show unique records.

mysql> SELECT DISTINCT [column name] FROM [table name];
Code

Show selected records sorted in an ascending (asc) or descending (desc).

mysql> SELECT [col1],[col2] FROM [table name] ORDER BY [col2] DESC;
Code

Return number of rows.

mysql> SELECT COUNT(\*) FROM [table name];
Code

Sum column.

mysql> SELECT SUM(\*) FROM [table name];
Code

Creating a new user. Login as root. Switch to the MySQL db. Make the user. Update privs.

# mysql -u root -p
mysql> use mysql;
mysql> INSERT INTO user (Host,User,Password) VALUES('%','username',PASSWORD('password'));
mysql> flush privileges;**
Code

Change a users password from unix shell.

# [mysql dir]/bin/mysqladmin -u username -h hostname -ppassword 'new-password'
Code

Change a users password from MySQL prompt. Login as root. Set the password. Update privileges.

mysql -u root -p
mysql> SET PASSWORD FOR 'user'@'hostname' = PASSWORD('password');
mysql> flush privileges;
Code

Recover a MySQL root passwbord. Stop the MySQL server process. Start again with no grant tables. Login to MySQL as root. Set new password. Exit MySQL and restart MySQL server.

# /etc/init.d/mysql stop
# mysqld_safe --skip-grant-tables
# mysql -u root
mysql> use mysql;
mysql> update user set password=PASSWORD("newpassword") where User='root';
mysql> flush privileges;
mysql> quit
# /etc/init.d/mysql stop
# /etc/init.d/mysql start
Code

Set a root password if there is no root password.

# mysqladmin -u root password newpassword
Code

Update a root password.

# mysqladmin -u root -p oldpassword newpassword
Code

Allow the user “Someone” to connect to the server from localhost using the password “passwd”. Login as root. Switch to the MySQL db. Give privs. Update privs.

mysql -u root -p
mysql> use mysql;
mysql> grant usage on \*.\* to Someone@localhost identified by 'passwd';
mysql> flush privileges;
Code

Give user privilages for a db. Login as root. Switch to the MySQL db. Grant privs. Update privs.

mysql -u root -p
mysql> use mysql;
mysql>INSERT INTO user(Host,Db,User,Select_priv,Insert_priv,Update_priv,Delete_priv,Create_priv,Drop_priv)
 VALUES ('%','databasename','username','Y','Y','Y','Y','Y','N');
mysql> flush privileges;
Code

or

mysql> grant all privileges on databasename.\* to username@localhost;
mysql> flush privileges;
Code

To update info already in a table.

mysql> UPDATE [table name] SET Select_priv = 'Y',Insert_priv = 'Y',Update_priv = 'Y' where [field name] = 'user';
Code

Delete a row(s) from a table.

mysql> DELETE from [table name] where [field name] = 'fieldvalue';
Code

Update database permissions/privilages.

mysql> flush privileges;
Code

Delete a column.

mysql> alter table [table name] drop column [column name];
Code

Add a new column to db.

mysql> alter table [table name] add column [new column name] varchar (20);
Code

Change column name.

mysql> alter table [table name] change [old column name] [new column name] varchar (50);
Code

Make a unique column so you get no dupes.

mysql> alter table [table name] add unique ([column name]);
Code

Make a column bigger.

mysql> alter table [table name] modify [column name] VARCHAR(3);
Code

Delete unique from table.

mysql> alter table [table name] drop index [colmn name];
Code

Load a CSV file into a table.

mysql> LOAD DATA INFILE '/tmp/filename.csv' replace INTO TABLE [table name] FIELDS TERMINATED BY ',' LINES TERMINATED BY '\n' (field1,field2,field3);
Code

Dump all databases for backup. Backup file is sql commands to recreate all db’s.

# mysqldump -u** **username** **-ppassword --opt > /tmp/alldatabases.sql
Code

Dump one database for backup.

# mysqldump -u username -ppassword --databases databasename > /tmp/databasename.sql
Code

Dump a table from a database.

# mysqldump -u username -ppassword databasename tablename > /tmp/databasename.tablename.sql
Code

Restore database (or database table) from backup.

# mysql -u username -ppassword databasename < /tmp/databasename.sql
Code

Create Table Example 1.

mysql> CREATE TABLE [table name] (name VARCHAR(20));
Code

Create Table Example 2.

mysql> create table [table name] (personid int(50) not null auto_increment primary key,firstname varchar(35),middlename varchar(50),lastnamevarchar(50) default 'somethiing');
Code