MySQL Reference Manual

Using mysql in Batch Mode

In the previous sections, you used mysql interactively to enter queries and view the results. You can also run mysql in batch mode. To do this, put the commands you want to run in a file, then tell mysql to read its input from the file:

shell> mysql < batch-file

If you are running mysql under windows and have some special characters in the file that cause problems, you can do:

dos> mysql -e "source batch-file"

If you need to specify connection parameters on the command-line, the command might look like this:

shell> mysql -h host -u user -p < batch-file
Enter password: ********

When you use mysql this way, you are creating a script file, then executing the script.

If you want the script to continue even if you have errors, you should use the --force command-line option.

Why use a script? Here are a few reasons:

• If you run a query repeatedly (say, every day or every week), making it a script allows you to avoid retyping it each time you execute it.

• You can generate new queries from existing ones that are similar by copying and editing script files.

• Batch mode can also be useful while you’re developing a query, particularly for multiple-line commands or multiple-statement sequences of commands. If you make a mistake, you don’t have to retype everything. Just edit your script to correct the error, then tell mysql to execute it again.

• If you have a query that produces a lot of output, you can run the output through a pager rather than watching it scroll off the top ...