%mysql% Variable for MySQL Server Path

MySQL Tutorials - Herong's Tutorial Examples

∟%mysql% Variable for MySQL Server Path

Tutorial example on how to create an environment variable '%mysql%' to represent the MySQL Server directory path name. This gives a quick way to invoke a MySQL command like '%mysql%\bin\mysql'.

Once MySQL Server is installed, we need to remember in which directory MySQL Server program and tools are located.

If you used the MySQL Installer to install MySQL, the server program and tools are located in the "C:\Program Files\MySQL\MySQL Server 8.0" directory.

If you used the MySQL Non-Install ZIP package to install MySQL, the server program and tools are probably located in the "C:\local\mysql" directory.

If you want to avoid typing the server directory path, you put it in an environment variable like "%mysql%" as shown below:

1. Go to "Control Panel > System and Security > System".

2. Click "Advanced system settings". Then click "Environment Variables".

3. Click "New" and enter:

Variable name: mysql
Variable value: "C:\Program Files\MySQL\MySQL Server 8.0"

or:
Variable name: mysql
Variable value: "C:\local\mysql"

4. Click "OK" to save the change.

Open a new command line window to invoke the "mysqladmin" tool:

herong> %mysql%\bin\mysqladmin --user=root --password=TopSecret status

Uptime: 9831  Threads: 3  Questions: 6557  Slow queries: 0  Opens: 303
   Flush tables: 3  Open tables: 192  Queries per second avg: 0.666