How To Get Help Information from the Server? - MySQL FAQs - Command-Line End User Interface mysql

While you are at the "mysql>" prompt, you can get help information from the server by using the "HELP" command. The tutorial exercise below shows sevearal examples:

>cd \mysql\bin
>mysql -u root

mysql> HELP;
...
List of all MySQL commands:
Note that all text commands must be end with ';'
?         (\?) Synonym for `help'.
clear     (\c) Clear command.
connect   (\r) Reconnect to the server. 
...

mysql> HELP SHOW;
Name: 'SHOW'
Description:
SHOW has many forms that provide information about 
databases, tables, columns, or status information about 
the server. This section describes those following:

SHOW CREATE DATABASE db_name
SHOW CREATE FUNCTION funcname
SHOW CREATE PROCEDURE procname
SHOW CREATE TABLE tbl_name
SHOW DATABASES [LIKE 'pattern']
SHOW ENGINE engine_name {LOGS | STATUS }
...

mysql> HELP CREATE TABLE;
Name: 'CREATE TABLE'
Description:
Syntax:
CREATE [TEMPORARY] TABLE [IF NOT EXISTS] tbl_name
    (create_definition,...)
    [table_option ...]
...