MySQL Getting Started
BCIS 3680 Enterprise Programming
Prepare to Use MySQL
To ensure that (a) the changes you make to your MySQL
databases will be saved if you use CoB lab computers, and
(b) you can share the same database files between lab and
home computers (or between multiple computers you
own), you need to do the following:


Copy the default data folders to your USB drive.


Change MySQL Server’s default database directory to the one
on your USB drive.
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You need to do this only once, whether you do it on CoB lab or
home computer.
You need to do this only once if you use your own computer.
You must do this every time you use the CoB lab computer.
Duplicating DB Folder
Browse to the default database folder of MySQL.
Right-click the data subfolder and select “Copy” (do not open the
folder).
You may need to change your Windows Explorer setting to show
hidden files and folders.



Right-click
and select
“Copy”
3
We will come
back and edit this
file later.
Default DB Folder
Windows 7 and later

C:\ProgramData\MySQL\MySQL Server 5.6\data
 C:\programData is a hidden folder. Change the Windows Explorer
setting to show hidden folders and files.
Windows Vista

C:\Users\All Users\MySQL\MySQL Server 5.6\data
Windows XP

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application
Data\MySQL\MySQL Server 5.6\data
 C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application
Data is a hidden folder. Change the Windows Explorer setting to
show hidden folders and files.
4
Duplicating DB Folder
On your USB drive, create a folder called BCIS3680 (if
you are currently using a folder of this name for you JSPs,
then use a different folder, such as BCIS3680DB).
Open BCIS3680.
Right-click and select “Paste”.
Now you have copied the data directory from the default
location to your USB drive.




5
Start Console with Admin Rights
As with Tomcat,
start a command
console with
administrator rights
if you use Windows
Vista or higher
6
Start Console with Admin Rights
7
Changing MySQL Default Data Folder
If you use a CoB lab computer, you want to find and run
the shortcut in the BCIS 3680 course menu to stop the
MySQL service.
If you use your own computer, run net stop mysql
Wait until you see the message saying that the service
was stopped successfully.



8
Editing my.ini
At the same level of the \data subfolder, find the file by
the name my.ini.
Start Notepad with admin rights to edit it.


Do not double-click.
Instead, open Notepad
with administrator rights.
Then, inside Notepad, click
File | Open. Browse to and
open this file.
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Start NotePad with Admin Rights
Again, open
Notepad with
administrator
rights if you use
Windows Vista or
higher
10
Start NotePad with Admin Rights
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Editing my.ini




Open the my.ini file and scroll down to find the
[mysqld] section.
Find the line starting with datadir="C:/Documents…
Add a # sign at the very beginning of that line to “comment it
out”.
Below that line, add a new line that says:


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datadir="E:/BCIS3680/data/"
This should be the path to the folder you used in Slide #5, so make
changes if your folder is different from the above example.
Use forward slashes instead of backward slashes.
Don’t modify anything else in that file! If you think you have
done so by mistake, close it without saving and start over
again.
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Edited my.ini

Once you’re done, save the file and close the window.
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Restarting MySQL Server

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If you use a CoB lab computer, find and run the shortcut
in the BCIS 3680 menu to start the MySQL service.
If you use your own computer, run net start mysql
Wait until you see the message saying that the service
was started successfully.
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Verifying Change of datadir



Run mysql –u root –p
If you work on a lab computer, when prompted, enter
bcis3680 (or whatever password you set) as your
password.
You should be able to log in as the root user.
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Verifying Change of datadir


Run show variables like 'datadir';
If you see E:\BCIS3680\data\ in the value column
(note that in the example it’s C:\data\), then you have
successfully changed the database directory for the
current session to the folder on your USB drive.
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Log in to MySQL

Run mysql –u root –p to log in


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-u option for username
-p will enter password
Run use <databaseName>; to select the database
you want to work with.
To log out, type either
\q
 exit
 Quit
or
 press Ctrl + C

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MySQL Commands

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A MySQL command ends with a semicolon, except:
quit, exit
In comparison, the net stop, net start, and mysql
commands are Windows commands and appending
semicolon to them would generate an error.
You may split a complex, long command over multiple
lines. It will not run until you hit the ; key and then
Enter.
For even more complex input of commands, you may
group the commands into a script file. Then run source
<ScriptFileName>; to execute the script.
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The Forta Database


Download the forta scripts from the course site.
Use these scripts from my website instead of
those from the author/publisher.



I modified the scripts so that the database so created can be
accessed from both the lab and your home computers without
problems.
Create a database called forta in MySQL.
Unzip and run the two scripts (create.sql and
populate.sql) to create and populate tables in that
database.
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Create the Forta Database


Run create database forta; to create the forta
DB.
Run show databases; to verify.
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Run Script to Create Tables


Run use forta; to actually work on that DB.
Run source <create_script> to create tables.
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Run Populate Script to Add Data


Run source <populate_script> to populate the
tables.
Now you will be able to follow along while reading the Forta
book.
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Display Names of Tables in DB

Run show tables; to show tables in the forta DB.
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