What Are the "mysql" Command Line Arguments? - MySQL FAQs - Command-Line End User Interface mysql

"mysql" supports only one optional command line argument, "database". But "mysql" allows the operating system to redirect input and output streams at the command line level. Here are some good examples:

• "mysql databaseName" - Starts "mysql" in interactive mode and use the specified database.
• "mysql < fileName" - Starts "mysql" in batch mode and executes all commands in the specified file.
• "mysql < fileName > fileName" - Starts "mysql" in batch mode, executes all commands in the specified file, and write output to the specified file.

Here is a tutorial exercise of how to use the command line argument to specify the database to use:

>cd \mysql\bin
>mysql -u root test
Welcome to the MySQL monitor.  Commands end with ; or \g.
Your MySQL connection id is 4 to server version: 5.0.24

mysql> show tables;
+----------------+
| Tables_in_test |
+----------------+
| links          |
+----------------+
1 row in set (0.00 sec)

mysql> quit;
Bye