How can I access the MySQL command line with XAMPP for Windows?

Question

How can I access the MySQL command line with XAMPP for Windows?

Answer 1

To access the mysql command in Windows without manually changing directories, do this:

• Go to Control Panel > System > Advanced system settings.
• System Properties will appear.
• Click on the 'Advanced' tab.
• Click 'Environment Variables'.
• Under System Variables, locate 'Path' and click Edit.

• Append the path to your MySQL installation to the end of the exisiting 'Variable value'. Example:

  %systemDrive%\xampp\mysql\bin\ 

  or, if you prefer

  c:\xampp\mysql\bin\ 

• Finally, open a new command prompt to make this change take effect.

Note that MySQL's documentation on Setting Environment Variables has little to say about handling this in Windows.