SQL Antipatterns, Volume 1

Mini-Antipattern: Reading Syntax Error Messages

In the case of SQL syntax errors, MySQL provides useful information: exactly what part of the SQL query followed the part where the syntax parser got confused or was expecting something different.

In ​Mini-Antipattern: Reserved Words​, you saw how a query that uses a reserved keyword in an unexpected position can result in a syntax error. Other types of syntax errors can be caused by missing keywords, extra keywords, or mistakes using punctuation.

The following should use the ORDER BY syntax, but the keyword BY is missing.

SELECT * FROM Bugs ORDER date_reported;
                         ^ error starts here

ERROR 1064 (42000): You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to ...