Short List of MySQL Commands

Short List of MySQL Commands
Conventions used here:
MySQL key words are shown in CAPS
User-specified names are in small letters
Optional items are enclosed in square brackets [ ]
Items in parentheses must appear in the command, along with the

parentheses
Items that can be repeated as often as desired are indicated by an ellipsis ...
Quoting in MySQL statments
Don't quote database, table, or column names
Don't quote column types or modifiers
Don't quote numerical values
Quote (single or double) non-numeric values
Quote file names and passwords
User names are NOT quoted in GRANT or REVOKE statements, but they are
quoted in other statements.
General Commands
USE database_name
Change to this database. You need to change to some database when you first
connect to MySQL.
SHOW DATABASES
Lists all MySQL databases on the system.
SHOW TABLES [FROM database_name]

Lists all tables from the current database or from the database given in the
command.
DESCRIBE table_name
SHOW FIELDS FROM table_name

SHOW COLUMNS FROM table_name
These commands all give a list of all columns (fields) from the given table, along
with column type and other info.
SHOW INDEX FROM table_name

Lists all indexes from this tables.
SET PASSWORD=PASSWORD('new_password')
Allows the user to set his/her own password.
Table Commands
CREATE TABLE table_name (create_clause1, create_clause2, ...)
Creates a table with columns as indicated in the create clauses.
create_clause
column name followed by column type, followed optionally by modifiers. For
example, "gene_id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY" (without the quotes)
creates a column of type integer with the modifiers described below.
create_clause modifiers
AUTO_INCREMENT : each data record is assigned the next sequential

number when it is given a NULL value.
PRIMARY KEY : Items in this column have unique names, and the table is
indexed automatically based on this column. One column must be the
PRIMARY KEY, and only one column may be the PRIMARY KEY. This column
should also be NOT NULL.
NOT NULL : No NULL values are allowed in this column: a NULL generates
an error message as the data is inserted into the table.
DEFAULT value : If a NULL value is used in the data for this column, the
default value is entered instead.
DROP TABLE table_name

Removes the table from the database. Permanently! So be careful with this
command!
ALTER TABLE table_name ADD (create_clause1, create_clause2, ...)

Adds the listed columns to the table.
ALTER TABLE table_name DROP column_name

Drops the listed columns from the table.
ALTER TABLE table_name MODIFY create_clause

Changes the type or modifiers to a column. Using MODIFY means that the
column keeps the same name even though its type is altered. MySQL attempts
to convert the data to match the new type: this can cause problems.
ALTER TABLE table_name CHANGE column_name create_clause

Changes the name and type or modifiers of a column. Using CHANGE (instead of
MODIFY) implies that the column is getting a new name.
ALTER TABLE table_name ADD INDEX [index_name] (column_name1,

column_name2, ...)
CREATE INDEX index_name ON table_name (column_name1,
column_name2, ...)
Adds an index to this table, based on the listed columns. Note that the order of
the columns is important, because additional indexes are created from all
subsets of the listed columns reading from left to write. The index name is
optional if you use ALTER TABLE, but it is necesary if you use CREATE INDEX.
Rarely is the name of an index useful (in my experience).
Data Commands
INSERT [INTO] table_name VALUES (value1, value2, ...)

Insert a complete row of data, giving a value (or NULL) for every column in the
proper order.
INSERT [INTO] table_name (column_name1, column_name2, ...) VALUES

(value1, value2, ...)
INSERT [INTO] table_name SET column_name1=value1,
column_name2=value2, ...
Insert data into the listed columns only. Alternate forms, with the SET form
showing column assignments more explicitly.
INSERT [INTO] table_name (column_name1, column_name2, ...) SELECT

list_of_fields_from_another_table FROM other_table_name WHERE
where_clause
Inserts the data resulting from a SELECT statement into the listed columns. Be
sure the number of items taken from the old table match the number of columns
they are put into!
DELETE FROM table_name WHERE where_clause

Delete rows that meet the conditions of the where_clause. If the WHERE
statement is omitted, the table is emptied, although its structure remains intact.
UPDATE table_name SET column_name1=value1,

column_name2=value2, ... [WHERE where_clause]
Alters the data within a column based on the conditions in the where_clause.
LOAD DATA LOCAL INFILE 'path to external file' INTO TABLE table_name
Loads data from the listed file into the table. The default assumption is that
fields in the file are separated by tabs, and each data record is separated from
the others by a newline. It also assumes that nothing is quoted: quote marks are
considered to be part of the data. Also, it assumes that the number of data fields
matches the number of table columns. Columns that are AUTO_INCREMENT
should have NULL as their value in the file.
LOAD DATA LOCAL INFILE 'path to external file' [FIELDS TERMINATED BY

'termination_character'] [FIELDS ENCLOSED BY 'quoting character'] [LINES
TERMINATED BY 'line termination character'] FROM table_name
Loads data from the listed file into the table, using the field termination
character listed (default is tab \t), and/or the listed quoting character (default is
nothing), and/or the listed line termination chacracter (default is a newline \n).
SELECT column_name1, column_name2, ... INTO OUTFILE 'path to external

file' [FIELDS TERMINATED BY 'termination_character'] [FIELDS ENCLOSED
BY 'quoting character'] [LINES TERMINATED BY 'line termination
character'] FROM table_name [WHERE where_clause]
Allows you to move data from a table into an external file. The field and line
termination clauses are the same as for LOAD above. Several tricky features:
1. Note the positions of the table_name and where_clause, after the external
file is given.
2. You must use a complete path, not just a file name. Otherwise MySQL
attempts to write to the directory where the database is stored, where you
don't have permission to write.
3. The user who is writing the file is 'mysql', not you! This means that user
'mysql' needs permission to write to the directory you specify. The best
way to do that is to creat a new directory under your home directory, then
change the directory's permission to 777, then write to it. For
example: mkdir mysql_output, chmod 777 mysql_output.

Short List of MySQL Commands

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Short List of MySQL Commands

Uploaded by

Short List of MySQL Commands

Conventions used here:

MySQL key words are shown in CAPS

User-specified names are in small letters

Optional items are enclosed in square brackets [ ]

Items in parentheses must appear in the command, along with the

Quoting in MySQL statments

Don't quote database, table, or column names

Don't quote column types or modifiers

Don't quote numerical values

Quote (single or double) non-numeric values

Quote file names and passwords

SHOW TABLES [FROM database_name]

SHOW FIELDS FROM table_name

SHOW INDEX FROM table_name

AUTO_INCREMENT : each data record is assigned the next sequential

default value is entered instead.

DROP TABLE table_name

ALTER TABLE table_name ADD (create_clause1, create_clause2, ...)

ALTER TABLE table_name DROP column_name

ALTER TABLE table_name MODIFY create_clause

ALTER TABLE table_name CHANGE column_name create_clause

ALTER TABLE table_name ADD INDEX [index_name] (column_name1,

INSERT [INTO] table_name VALUES (value1, value2, ...)

INSERT [INTO] table_name (column_name1, column_name2, ...) VALUES

INSERT [INTO] table_name (column_name1, column_name2, ...) SELECT

DELETE FROM table_name WHERE where_clause

UPDATE table_name SET column_name1=value1,

LOAD DATA LOCAL INFILE 'path to external file' [FIELDS TERMINATED BY

SELECT column_name1, column_name2, ... INTO OUTFILE 'path to external

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