Lesson 3 / 28

Databases vs Tables

A server can host many databases, each holding many tables.

Creating & selecting a database

A database is a named container for tables. USE switches your active database.

CREATE DATABASE shop;
USE shop;
SHOW TABLES;

Output:

Empty set (0.00 sec)

One server, many databases

A single MySQL server commonly hosts several databases — one per application — each isolated with its own set of tables.

Quick check: What does `USE shop;` do?

  • Creates a new database
  • Makes `shop` the active database for following queries
  • Deletes the `shop` database
Answer

Makes `shop` the active database for following queries — `USE` just switches context — no data is created or removed.