Mysql import command working when running on cmd but not when passing arguments directly

Question

As I follow from the documentation, The import command in its most basic form is:

mysql.exe < example.sql

It works when I run it from the command line in Windows. But it doesn't work when I start the process mysql.exe with < example.sql parameters. For example, creating a shortcut and setting its path to mysql.exe < example.sql doesn't work and it only prints the help info for mysql.exe.

As a side note, I first noticed this problem when trying to run the following C# code:

new Process
 {
 StartInfo = new ProcessStartInfo
 {
 FileName = "mysql.exe",
 Arguments = "< example.sql",
 }
 }.Start();

• jai dutt: what did you mean by this mysql.exe with < example.sql parameters
• aschipfl: < example.sql are not parameters for mysql.exe, the < denotes a redirection operator, so the content of file example.sql is redirected into mysql.exe; I guess you have to change the file name to cmd.exe and the arguments to /C "mysql.exe < example.sql"; consider to specify full absolute paths to all of the files...
• Gokhan Kurt: @aschipfl Do you know a way to pass the sql file as parameter to mysql.exe. Also you can turn your comment into answer. It answers my question.
• aschipfl: Unfortunately I cannot help you with mysql.exe. Just wait a minute to get my comment converted to an answer...

Answer 1

The part < example.sql does not contitute parameters for mysql.exe; the < character denotes a redirection operator, so the content of file example.sql is redirected into mysql.exe.

I guess you have to change the file name to cmd.exe and the arguments to /C "mysql.exe < example.sql". Consider to specify full absolute paths to all of the files.

Answer 2

I don't work in windows but I assume you best fill in the full path + database hostname information:

C:\mysql\directory\bin\mysql -h {hostname} -u {username} -p {databasename} < example.sql

• aschipfl: ...and also the full path to example.sql; each path quoted to avoid trouble with white-spaces and other special characters...