One way of communicating with MySQL is through the MySQL command line client. Depending on which operating system you're using, you need to eitehr open a command shell for Windows (type cmd from the Run dialog) or open a terminal session in Unix/Linux or Mac OX X environments.
Type mysql in the command line.
Prompt | Meaning |
---|---|
mysql> | Waiting for a command |
-< | Waiting for the next line of a command |
'< | Waiting for the next line of a string that starts with a single quote |
"< | Waiting for the next line of a string that starts with a double quote |
The following commands allow you to perform tasks such as executing SQL commands that are stored in a script file using the source.
Command | Parameter | Meaning |
---|---|---|
quit | Exit the command-line utility | |
use | Database name | Use a specific database |
show | tables or databases | Show lists such as tables or databases available |
describe | Table name | Describe a table's columns |
status | Display database version and status | |
source | Filename | Execute commands from a file as a script |