Mysql: Client Tips 2: Running Shell Commands from the Commandline

Ok, As you know I am trying to explore more of the mysql command line and exploring its features. I have already written about how to change default mysql prompt using the command "prompt" in one of my previous articles.

Continuing this series. I am focusing today on the "system" command or "/!".

Well, I always have some of the sql source files and I execute it from the mysql command line. But I just keep forgetting their names. And most of the times I either close the mysql session and do 'ls' at the command line or move the mysql session in background and do a 'ls'.

Mysql cli has this very useful command called "system" using which you can execute shell commands from mysql client itself.

just type

  system ls -l

or

  \! ls -l

Some of us, who are familiar with Vim, will like this "\!" version a lot, because we are already using ! to run system commands there.

You can run almost all system commands using either of system or '\!'

Some examples:

mysql:root@test [14:26:19 pm]$ \! pwd
/home/owner

mysql:root@test [14:29:33 pm]$ \! date
Thu Mar 26 14:29:46 SGT 2009

mysql:root@test [14:29:46 pm]$ \! bash
owner@rocky-desktop:~$ exit
mysql:root@test [14:30:12 pm]$

You see the last one is quiet interesting. You can actually open a shell using this command perform some tasks. Just exit from the shell and you are back in the mysql world.

Liked it ! Start playing with mysql client system command.