Skipping SET NAMES Statement in mysqldump Output

The mysqldump command is used to create backups of MySQL databases, allowing you to export SQL statements that can recreate the database’s structure and data. One of the options available is -N, --no-set-names, which instructs mysqldump to skip the SET NAMES statement in its output.

When using -N, mysqldump excludes the SET NAMES statement from the generated SQL dump file. This statement typically specifies the character set and collation to be used for the subsequent import operation. Skipping it can be useful in scenarios where the character set and collation are managed separately or set at the server level.

Here are some examples of how the -N option can be used:

Example 1: Exporting a database named employees without the SET NAMES statement:
mysqldump -u username -p --no-set-names employees > employees_backup.sql

This command exports the employees database to employees_backup.sql without including the SET NAMES statement. To verify, open the employees_backup.sql file and check if the SET NAMES statement is absent.

Example 2: Exporting all databases from MySQL server without SET NAMES:
mysqldump -u username -p --all-databases --no-set-names > alldatabases_backup.sql

In this case, mysqldump exports all databases without including SET NAMES statements into alldatabases_backup.sql. Verification involves checking the absence of SET NAMES in the beginning of the SQL dump file.

Example 3: Exporting a specific table customers from a database sales:
mysqldump -u username -p sales customers --no-set-names > customers_backup.sql

Verify by examining customers_backup.sql for the absence of SET NAMES.

The --no-set-names option is particularly useful when you want more control over character set settings during database import or when dealing with environments where character set configurations are managed differently.

Also check similar articles.

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