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(mysql.info)mysqldump

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mysqldump, Dumping Table Structure and Data
-------------------------------------------

Utility to dump a database or a collection of database for backup or for
transferring the data to another SQL server (not necessarily a MySQL
server).  The dump will contain SQL statements to create the table
and/or populate the table.

If you are doing a backup on the server, you should consider using the
`mysqlhotcopy' instead. Note: `mysqlhotcopy'.

     shell> mysqldump [OPTIONS] database [tables]
     OR     mysqldump [OPTIONS] --databases [OPTIONS] DB1 [DB2 DB3...]
     OR     mysqldump [OPTIONS] --all-databases [OPTIONS]

If you don't give any tables or use the `--databases' or
`--all-databases', the whole database(s) will be dumped.

You can get a list of the options your version of `mysqldump' supports
by executing `mysqldump --help'.

Note that if you run `mysqldump' without `--quick' or `--opt',
`mysqldump' will load the whole result set into memory before dumping
the result.  This will probably be a problem if you are dumping a big
database.

Note that if you are using a new copy of the `mysqldump' program and
you are going to do a dump that will be read into a very old MySQL
server, you should not use the `--opt' or `-e' options.

`mysqldump' supports the following options:

`--add-locks'
     Add `LOCK TABLES' before and `UNLOCK TABLE' after each table dump.
     (To get faster inserts into MySQL.)

`--add-drop-table'
     Add a `drop table' before each create statement.

`-A, --all-databases'
     Dump all the databases. This will be same as `--databases' with all
     databases selected.

`-a, --all'
     Include all MySQL-specific create options.

`--allow-keywords'
     Allow creation of column names that are keywords.  This works by
     prefixing each column name with the table name.

`-c, --complete-insert'
     Use complete insert statements (with column names).

`-C, --compress'
     Compress all information between the client and the server if both
     support compression.

`-B, --databases'
     To dump several databases. Note the difference in usage. In this
     case no tables are given. All name arguments are regarded as
     database names.  `USE db_name;' will be included in the output
     before each new database.

`--delayed'
     Insert rows with the `INSERT DELAYED' command.

`-e, --extended-insert'
     Use the new multiline `INSERT' syntax. (Gives more compact and
     faster inserts statements.)

`-#, --debug[=option_string]'
     Trace usage of the program (for debugging).

`--help'
     Display a help message and exit.

`--fields-terminated-by=...'
`--fields-enclosed-by=...'
`--fields-optionally-enclosed-by=...'
`--fields-escaped-by=...'
`--lines-terminated-by=...'
     These options are used with the `-T' option and have the same
     meaning as the corresponding clauses for `LOAD DATA INFILE'.
     Note: `LOAD DATA'.

`-F, --flush-logs'
     Flush log file in the MySQL server before starting the dump.

`-f, --force,'
     Continue even if we get a SQL error during a table dump.

`-h, --host=..'
     Dump data from the MySQL server on the named host. The default host
     is `localhost'.

`-l, --lock-tables.'
     Lock all tables before starting the dump.  The tables are locked
     with `READ LOCAL' to allow concurrent inserts in the case of
     `MyISAM' tables.

`-n, --no-create-db'
     'CREATE DATABASE /*!32312 IF NOT EXISTS*/ db_name;' will not be
     put in the output. The above line will be added otherwise, if
     -databases or -all-databases option was given.

`-t, --no-create-info'
     Don't write table creation information (The `CREATE TABLE'
     statement.)

`-d, --no-data'
     Don't write any row information for the table.  This is very
     useful if you just want to get a dump of the structure for a table!

`--opt'
     Same as `--quick --add-drop-table --add-locks --extended-insert
     --lock-tables'.  Should give you the fastest possible dump for
     reading into a MySQL server.

`-pyour_pass, --password[=your_pass]'
     The password to use when connecting to the server. If you specify
     no `=your_pass' part, `mysqldump' you will be prompted for a
     password.

`-P port_num, --port=port_num'
     The TCP/IP port number to use for connecting to a host.  (This is
     used for connections to hosts other than `localhost', for which
     Unix sockets are used.)

`-q, --quick'
     Don't buffer query, dump directly to stdout. Uses
     `mysql_use_result()' to do this.

`-r, --result-file=...'
     Direct output to a given file. This option should be used in MSDOS,
     because it prevents new line '\n' from being converted to '\n\r'
     (new line + carriage return).

`-S /path/to/socket, --socket=/path/to/socket'
     The socket file to use when connecting to `localhost' (which is the
     default host).

`--tables'
     Overrides option -databases (-B).

`-T, --tab=path-to-some-directory'
     Creates a `table_name.sql' file, that contains the SQL CREATE
     commands, and a `table_name.txt' file, that contains the data, for
     each give table.  *NOTE*: This only works if `mysqldump' is run on
     the same machine as the `mysqld' daemon.  The format of the `.txt'
     file is made according to the `--fields-xxx' and `--lines--xxx'
     options.

`-u user_name, --user=user_name'
     The MySQL user name to use when connecting to the server. The
     default value is your Unix login name.

`-O var=option, --set-variable var=option'
     Set the value of a variable.  The possible variables are listed
     below.

`-v, --verbose'
     Verbose mode.  Print out more information on what the program does.

`-V, --version'
     Print version information and exit.

`-w, --where='where-condition''
     Dump only selected records. Note that QUOTES are mandatory:

          "--where=user='jimf'" "-wuserid>1" "-wuserid<1"

`-O net_buffer_length=#, where # < 16M'
     When creating multi-row-insert statements (as with option
     `--extended-insert' or `--opt'), `mysqldump' will create rows up
     to `net_buffer_length' length. If you increase this variable, you
     should also ensure that the `max_allowed_packet' variable in the
     MySQL server is bigger than the `net_buffer_length'.

The most normal use of `mysqldump' is probably for making a backup of
whole databases. Note: Backup.

     mysqldump --opt database > backup-file.sql

You can read this back into MySQL with:

     mysql database < backup-file.sql

or

     mysql -e "source /patch-to-backup/backup-file.sql" database

However, it's also very useful to populate another MySQL server with
information from a database:

     mysqldump --opt database | mysql ---host=remote-host -C database

It is possible to dump several databases with one command:

     mysqldump --databases database1 [database2 database3...] > my_databases.sql

If all the databases are wanted, one can use:

     mysqldump --all-databases > all_databases.sql