The SQL command in this recipe removes a column and the column’s data from an existing MySQL table.

The best laid plans of mice and DBAs oft go awry, so it is sometimes necessary to change the characteristics of a column after it exists and contains data. Beware whenever you make changes to your database — always make a backup first.

MySQL tables are easy to extend with additional columns.

A primary key uniquely identify a row in a table. One or more columns may be identified as the primary key. The values in a single column used as the primary key must be unique (like a person’s social security number). When more than one column is used, the combination of column values must be […]

To remove a table from a MySQL database, and remove all of its data, use the following SQL command.

The SQL command ‘describe’ allows you to view the column structure of a MySQL table. It provides a listing of the columns of a table, the type of each column, and additional information on each column.

A single instance of MySQL can hold many separate databases. It is important to specify the database to which subsequent commands will be issued.

Use the ‘show databases’ command to display the list of dbs on the server.

SQL command used to create to create a db.

How do I tell what version of MySQL server that I am running?

The mysql command provides a text-based interface into the MySQL database server. Once connected, SQL commands can be issued to the server to make queries, create or alter databases or tables, or many other operations.

How do I update a user’s password in my MySQL server?