In MySQL, we can use the sys.quote_identifier() function to quote a string to produce a result that can be used as an identifier in a SQL statement.
The string is returned enclosed by backticks (`), with each instance of a backtick doubled.
This function can be handy when a value to be used as an identifier is a reserved word or contains backtick characters.
Window functions can be a useful tool when writing SQL queries. They allow us to include aggregate data across multiple rows without getting those pesky errors that sometimes occur when we try to use an aggregate function in the wrong way.
In this article, I aim to provide a simple overview of window functions and how they can be used to provide a more useful result set when running SQL queries.
In MySQL, the sys.ps_thread_stack() function returns a JSON formatted stack of all statements, stages, and events within the Performance Schema for a given thread ID.
In MySQL, the sys.extract_schema_from_file_name() function is a stored function in the sys schema.
It accepts a path name, and returns the path component that represents the schema name.
This enables us to get the schema from a given file path.
If you’ve ever encountered a SERIAL column in a MySQL database, you might’ve wondered how it differs from an AUTO_INCREMENT column. After all, they both generate values that automatically increment?
Read on to find out what the difference is between SERIAL and AUTO_INCREMENT in MySQL.
In MySQL, the sys.format_statement() system function reduces the length of a given string/SQL statement to the length stored in the statement_truncate_len configuration option.
This function can be handy for truncating potentially long SQL statements retrieved from Performance Schema tables into a more suitable length (64 characters by default).
In MySQL, we can use the PS_THREAD_ID() function to get the Performance Schema thread ID assigned to a given connection ID. This can be useful whenever we use a function that takes the thread ID as its parameter, but we only know the connection ID.
If no thread ID exists for the connection, then NULL is returned.
The built-in PS_THREAD_ID() function does the same thing as the now deprecated sys.ps_thread_id() function. Therefore, we can call the function without needing to qualify it with sys or making sys our current schema.
Behind every well-structured and organised SQL database lies a treasure trove of information called metadata. Metadata is data that provides information about other data. In relational database management systems, this metadata can typically include information like the names of databases, tables, columns, the data type of a column, access privileges, and much more.
The SQL standard provides a collection of tables/views that allow us to view metadata about the objects in the database. The SQL standard refers to this as the information schema and calls it INFORMATION_SCHEMA.
In MySQL, the sys.format_path() function is a stored function in the sys schema. It accepts a path name, and returns the modified path name after replacing subpaths that match the values of certain system variables.
So we can use the function to dynamically replace part or all of our path with a system variable that matches that path segment.
In MySQL, the sys.extract_table_from_file_name() function is a stored function in the sys schema.
It accepts a path name, and returns the path component that represents the table name.