MySQL command to show list of databases on server

by Vivek Gite on November 28, 2006 · 21 comments

Q. I am new to MySQL database server. How do I show the list of databases on my server? Is there any good GUI frontend exists for the same?

A. You can use mysql command to connect to mysql server and list available databases.

Task: Mysql list databases

mysql is a simple command-line tool. mysql is command line and it is very easy to use. Invoke it from the prompt of your command interpreter as follows:
$ mysql
Output:

mysql>

You may need to provide mysql username, password and hostname, use:
$ mysql --user=your-user-name --password=your-password
mysql>

To list database type the following command

mysql> show databases;
Output:

+--------------------+
| Database           |
+--------------------+
| information_schema |
| mysql              |
+--------------------+
2 rows in set (0.00 sec)

information_schema and mysql are name of databases. To use these database and to list available tables type the following two commands:
mysql> use mysql;Output:

Reading table information for completion of table and column names
You can turn off this feature to get a quicker startup with -A
Database changed

Now list tables:
mysql> show tables;Output:

+---------------------------+
| Tables_in_mysql           |
+---------------------------+
| columns_priv              |
| db                        |
| func                      |
| help_category             |
| help_keyword              |
| help_relation             |
| help_topic                |
| host                      |
| proc                      |
| procs_priv                |
| tables_priv               |
| time_zone                 |
| time_zone_leap_second     |
| time_zone_name            |
| time_zone_transition      |
| time_zone_transition_type |
| user                      |
+---------------------------+
17 rows in set (0.00 sec)
mysql>

GUI tools

Since you are new to MySQL, it is better to use GUI tools. Please refer previous article about "GUI Tools for managing MySQL databases server"

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{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }

1 sumudu sanjeewa March 5, 2008

gud site for learn

Reply

2 Dog March 25, 2008

you can use the -e option to execute some queries on the command line, EG, to list databases:
mysql -e “show databases” -u -p

Reply

3 Michael Sharman August 22, 2008

Nice tips, very helpful.

Thanks

Reply

4 lady February 13, 2009

how can i know if there is a database server on my pc?
i tried this command:
-e “show databases” -u -p
and i got this error:
ERROR 2006 (HYOOO):MySQL server has gone away
No connection. Trying to reconnect. . .
Connection id: 19
Current database: TCPDUMP

ERROR 1064 (42000): You have and error in your SQL syntax;check the manual to your corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near ‘-e “show databases” -u -p’ at line 1

can anyone help me?

Reply

5 Lepe March 3, 2009

Hi lady,

I suppose you are using …. Linux? or Windows? if you are using Windows, just go to your control panel and check in “Add/Remove Programs” if you see something like “mysql”. Also you can check in services under Administrative tools.
Now, if you are in Linux,
type “mysql” and then press “TAB” twice and you will see a list of commands like:

mysql mysqlimport
mysqlaccess mysql_install_db
mysqladmin mysqlmanager

then mysql is installed. To know if it is running:

nmap localhost

and you will see a “3306/tcp open mysql”.

Also, if you copy+paste some codes or example from web pages remember that sometimes the quotation mark is changed (looks similar but they are not)

I hope this is helpful

Reply

6 video x ware March 7, 2009

Very helpful tips, thanks

Reply

7 video x ware March 7, 2009

Another question, man.
How can I delete a database or table under a database such as TEST?

Reply

8 Santanu June 4, 2009

i m new to mysql and when i m trying to mysqlcheck -u root –analyze mysql then i m getting error ERROR 1064(42000). is there anybody who will help me to solve this problem? Please help me at the earliest.

Reply

9 joy October 2, 2009

How to setup a working database named ‘RCC’ in a new server. Please send me ur commands

Reply

10 Zaid November 19, 2009

thank you so much really beneficial.

Reply

11 Raja December 4, 2009

Its nice to learn

Reply

12 jeevan February 25, 2010

At present i am working in one database . i want to know current working database name.give command plz.

Reply

13 Paul Nesbitt July 8, 2010

Hi
@jeevan use

SELECT DATABASE();

Paul

Reply

14 kristof September 16, 2010

Or just do: mysql_show -u yourusername -p

Reply

15 kristof September 16, 2010

sorry that should be: mysqlshow -u yourusernamehere -p (so without underscore)

Reply

16 tejas patel October 26, 2010

i am new in mysql. i tried to connection to mysql through php. i think problem in mysql server.
i am use window base, xampp server for this. how to find out my server name, database name,username and password. when u use with servername with localhost they are not running
successfully. i tried for this. i doing this activity last 2 days. but i am fail in this. so u advice me
for above. i want to connect mysql to php. if u can example then best.

Reply

17 abc October 27, 2010

This error comes when you write
# mysql
ERROR 1045 (28000): Access denied for user ‘root’@'localhost’ (using password: NO)

plz help

Reply

18 Ali Abid January 19, 2011

Nice flow defined.

Reply

19 Student July 5, 2011

Hello

When you do the command SHOW DATABASE, i would like to know which condition is used for the sort of the output of this command ?

Reply

20 surendra October 19, 2011

how to import database through command line in mysql if sql file is store in other drive

Reply

21 Arun January 3, 2012

Loading your data from a file. ( for windows )

mysql> source ‘enter file name with including path’ ;

eg: mysql> source d:/world.sql ; ( use forwards slash )

Reply

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