Hi all

I inherited a server running MySQL 4.* from a previous developer. Now,
the records on this database might be what I want, or they might just
be test data. I think my only chance of finding out if this is the real
thing is to find the date and time of the last insert into the
database.

How can I do that?

select max(datefieldnamehere) from table;

Sounds like a good SQL for beginners would be a very good place to
start. The Dummy series is a great for beginners.

On 7 Apr 2006 04:24:33 -0700, in mailing.database.mysql "Hieronimus"
<rui.pacheco@gmail.com>
<1144409073.740963.301310@i39g2000cwa.googlegroups .com> wrote:

>| Hi all
>|
>| I inherited a server running MySQL 4.* from a previous developer. Now,
>| the records on this database might be what I want, or they might just
>| be test data. I think my only chance of finding out if this is the real
>| thing is to find the date and time of the last insert into the
>| database.
>|
>| How can I do that?

show table status;
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Charles Petzold. October 20, 2005
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I have no date field. I have varchar's and a couple of booleans, but no
date field.
Why did you assume I had a datefield? I never mentioned it anywhere.

Mighty testy for someone who is asking for ...

1) if there is no DATE field (either some date/time datatype OR a
char/varchar field with date data) then show table status. BTW, most
other database engines require auditing or a date field to determine
last update times. You got lucky here....

2) methods of finding maximum values
select max(datefieldnamehere) from table;
select max(cast(char_datefieldnamehere as date)) from table;

Again, see No 1 if these do not apply.

Ah, yes, the audit field. Someone else has just pointed me to something
like that. I'll include one for every table I create.
Another thing, I didn't mean to be too smart, but you called me a moron
without knowing anything about me. It didn't feel right, too.

I do not see anything in my post that would suggests that a beginner
in this field is a moron. After having been in a support role for many
years, purchased the "SQL for Dummies" book and added it to my
reference library. This was many years ago, but still have a need to
reference it on occasion as I cannot remember every nuance that is
articulated in that book and other very fine reference materials. To
suggest that someone add this book (or series of books) to their
reference library in no way suggest that the indiviual is " a moron".
I have also found that, in general, the Dummy series to be very
informative in other aspects of the IT world. There are other very
good resources on the market as well - but I never seem to recall the
titles of those books.

Regards,

A DBA for > 16 years and IT in general > 25 yrs. (field service,
consulting and others)

onedbguru@firstdbasource.com wrote:
> I do not see anything in my post that would suggests that a beginner
> in this field is a moron.

I've decided to stop recommending "SQL for Dummies". It's a good book
that is useful to people at various levels of experience, but many
people quite understandably get the wrong message when one recommends it
as a book they should read.

Regards,
Bill K.