MySQL Cookbook, 2nd Edition

Appendix B. Executing Programs from the Command Line

As you work through this book, you’ll run many examples using the mysql client program, and there are lots of programs in the recipes distribution for you to try as you read. And of course one purpose of the book is to enable you to write your own MySQL-based programs. Consequently, you’ll often need to execute programs at the command line—that is, at the prompt of your shell or command interpreter. For best use of this book, you should be able to run mysql easily (by entering just its name), and you should be able to execute programs from the recipes distribution or that you write yourself. To accomplish those goals, it’s important that your PATH environment variable be set correctly, and that you know how to make programs executable. This appendix shows how to do those things; if you already know how, you can skip it.