MySQL SHOW TABLES - 2 variations

Learn two variations of the MySQL SHOW TABLES command

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SHOW TABLES Command

In order to SELECT any data, we have to know what table we want to see the data from. Therefore, we need to know the table name.

We can use the SHOW TABLES command and retrieve a result set containing the tables which are present in a database. There are 2 variations of SHOW TABLES, both of which return the same information:

1. SHOW TABLES;

2. SHOW TABLES IN database_name; (where database_name is the name of the database)

Let's see an example of each so we are familiar with them both and can use either seamlessly if needed.

SHOW TABLES

In MySQL Workbench, on the first line of the .sql script we are using to execute the MySQL commands, we simply write USE sakila; as shown in this screenshot:

USE sakila (database command)

When you execute USE database_name, you're instructing MySQL that the subsequent queries should be run against the named database. We can use SHOW TABLES; on the next line:

USE sakila and SHOW TABLES commands together.

Executing SHOW TABLES; returns a result set with all of the table names for the tables that are part of the sakila database that an authenticated user has permission to see:

Results for SHOW TABLES command.

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SHOW TABLES IN database_name

In the event that you haven't issued the USE statement, you can specify the named database when you execute the SHOW TABLES command:

Using SHOW TABLES IN sakila command.

Executing this form of SHOW TABLES has the same effect, returning a result set of table names in the named database:

A listing of all tables in the sakila database from the SHOW TABLES IN DB command.

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