Sams Teach Yourself MySQL

The mysql Client

The mysql program is a command-line client used for sending commands to a MySQL server. It can be used to enter SQL commands to query a database or alter table definitions; it also has its own set of commands to control its operation.

The mysql Program

In this lesson and throughout this book, mysql—printed in lower case—refers specifically to the MySQL command-line client program.

Starting the Command-Line Client

To start the command-line client, simply invoke the mysql program from the command line. If your local MySQL server allows anonymous connections, you can invoke mysql without any additional switches. The result looks ...