Chapter 3. Using MySQL Client Programs

This chapter covers the following exam topics:

• Invoking command-line client programs

• Specifying command-line options

• The mysql client

  • Using mysql interactively

  • Using script files with mysql

  • mysql client commands and SQL statements

  • Using the ---safe-updates option

• Using mysqlimport

• Using mysqldump and reloading the dump

• Checking tables with mysqlcheck and myisamchk

• Using MySQLCC

• Using MySQL Connector/ODBC and MySQL Connector/J

Questions on the material in this chapter make up approximately 10% of the exam.

This chapter discusses general principles that are common to most MySQL client programs. It also describes how to use several specific types of clients:

• The interactive graphical client MySQLCC (MySQL Control Center). This general-purpose client provides a graphical interface to the MySQL server. It can be thought of as an extended graphical version of the character-based mysql client.

  MySQLCC is still being actively developed at the time of publication of the first Core exam. For that reason, you are expected to be familiar with the general properties and capabilities of MySQLCC, but you are not expected to know all the ins and outs of the program.

• The character-based client programs. These run either interactively or perform their job based on command-line arguments with no further input from the user. Character-based clients discussed in this chapter include:

  • mysql, a general-purpose client for issuing queries and retrieving their results. It can be used interactively or in batch mode to read queries from a file.

  • mysqladmin, an administrative client that helps you manage the server.

  • mysqlimport, a program for importing text files into databases. It provides a command-line interface to the LOAD DATA INFILE SQL statement.

  • mysqldump, a program for dumping the contents of databases. It can be used to make database backups or to copy databases to other machines.

  • mysqlcheck and myisamchk, programs for checking and repairing tables. They're useful for checking and maintaining the integrity of certain types of tables.

• The MySQL Connector drivers. These drivers provide connectivity to the MySQL server for client programs:

  • MySQL Connector/ODBC, the MySQL driver for programs that use the ODBC (Open Database Connectivity) interface.

  • MySQL Connector/J, the MySQL driver for JDBC connectivity to Java programs.