MySQL in a Nutshell, 2nd Edition

Name

SHOW DATABASES

Synopsis

SHOW {DATABASES|SCHEMAS} [LIKE 'pattern'| WHERE expression]

This statement displays the list of databases on the server. The keyword DATABASE is synonymous with SCHEMA as of version 5.0.2 of MySQL. Using the LIKE clause, a naming pattern may be given. Or you may use the WHERE clause to refine the results set.

For example, suppose that a server has a separate database for each customer of the organization and that the pattern for the names of the databases is cust_number, where the number is the customer account number. You could enter the following SQL statement to obtain a list of databases based on this pattern:

SHOW DATABASES LIKE 'cust%' LIMIT 1;

+------------------+
| Database (cust%) |
+------------------+
| cust_37881       | 
+------------------+

The SHOW DATABASES privilege is necessary to see all databases. Otherwise, the user will see only the databases for which he has privileges. The --skip-show-database server option will disable this limitation.

The mysqlshow utility can be used at the command line to view the same information:

mysqlshow --user=user --password

The results from this utility are also limited by the user’s privileges.