importing a csv file into mysql from the command line using mysqlimport command

Question

How to import a csv file into mysql from the command line using mysqlimport command, so thats without going into mysql.?

I am trying to use this answer here

to import a csv file into mysql from the command line

root@678cf3cd1587:/home# mysqlimport --columns='head -n 1 discounts.csv' --ignore-lines=1 temp discounts.csv -u root -p
Enter password:
mysqlimport: Error: 1064, You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near '-n 1 discounts.csv)' at line 1, when using table: discounts
root@678cf3cd1587:/home#

But I cannot get it to work can anyone advise what I am doing wrong?

this is what my file looks like

root@678cf3cd1587:/var/lib/mysql-files# cat discounts.csv
id,title,expired_date,amount
1,"1Spring Break ",20140401,20
2,"2Spring Break ",20140401,20
3,"3Spring Break ",20140401,20
4,"3Spring Break ",20140401,20
5,"3Spring Break ",20140401,20
6,"3Spring Break ",20140401,20
7,"3Spring Break ",20140401,20

And this is what my mysql looks like:

mysql> show databases;
+--------------------+
| Database           |
+--------------------+
| information_schema |
| mysql              |
| performance_schema |
| sys                |
| temp               |
+--------------------+
5 rows in set (0.00 sec)

mysql> use temp
Database changed
mysql> show tables;
Empty set (0.00 sec)

mysql>

NOTE I am running mysql in a docker container which I can give more details on if required There is duplicates of this question but I think mine is specific.

EDIT1

I had tried the different single-quote ' double-quote " and backtick `. although the back tick gave a different error. does that help?

root@678cf3cd1587:/home# mysqlimport --columns='head -n 1 discounts.csv' --ignore-lines=1 temp discounts.csv -u root -p
Enter password:
mysqlimport: Error: 1064, You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near '-n 1 discounts.csv)' at line 1, when using table: discounts
root@678cf3cd1587:/home# mysqlimport --columns="head -n 1 discounts.csv" --ignore-lines=1 temp discounts.csv -u root -p
Enter password:
mysqlimport: Error: 1064, You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near '-n 1 discounts.csv)' at line 1, when using table: discounts
root@678cf3cd1587:/home# mysqlimport --columns=`head -n 1 discounts.csv` --ignore-lines=1 temp discounts.csv -u root -p
Enter password:
mysqlimport: Error: 1049 Unknown database 'date,amount'

EDIT2

If i do it without a table created I get Error: 1146, Table 'temp.discounts' doesn't exist, when using table: discounts

root@678cf3cd1587:/var/lib/mysql-files# mysqlimport temp /var/lib/mysql-files/discounts.csv -u root -p --columns=`head -n 1 /var/lib/mysql-files/discounts.csv` --ignore-lines=1
Enter password:
mysqlimport: Error: 1146, Table 'temp.discounts' doesn't exist, when using table: discounts

If i then create the table and then try again

mysql> CREATE TABLE discounts (
    ->   id INT NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT,
    ->   title VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
    ->   expired_date DATE NOT NULL,
    ->   amount DECIMAL(10,2) NULL,
    ->   PRIMARY KEY (id)
    -> );
Query OK, 0 rows affected (0.03 sec)

mysql>
mysql>
mysql>
mysql> show tables;
+----------------+
| Tables_in_temp |
+----------------+
| discounts      |
+----------------+
1 row in set (0.00 sec)

mysql> select * from discounts;
Empty set (0.00 sec)

I get the following error Error: 1265, Data truncated for column 'id' at row 1, when using table: discounts

root@678cf3cd1587:/var/lib/mysql-files# mysqlimport temp /var/lib/mysql-files/discounts.csv -u root -p --columns=`head -n 1 /var/lib/mysql-files/discounts.csv` --ignore-lines=1
Enter password:
mysqlimport: Error: 1265, Data truncated for column 'id' at row 1, when using table: discounts
root@678cf3cd1587:/var/lib/mysql-files#

I am using /var/lib/mysql-files/discounts.csv explicitly because, if i understand correctly, this is the only directory i can import files from with secure_file_priv

mysql> SHOW VARIABLES LIKE "secure_file_priv";
+------------------+-----------------------+
| Variable_name    | Value                 |
+------------------+-----------------------+
| secure_file_priv | /var/lib/mysql-files/ |
+------------------+-----------------------+
1 row in set (0.01 sec)

mysql>

EDIT3

I got this to work mysqlimport --columns="`head -n 1 /var/lib/mysql-files/discounts.csv`" --ignore-lines=1 temp /var/lib/mysql-files/discounts.csv -u root -p --fields-terminated-by=',' --fields-optionally-enclosed-by='"'

root@678cf3cd1587:/home# mysqlimport --columns="`head -n 1 /var/lib/mysql-files/discounts.csv`" --ignore-lines=1 temp /var/lib/mysql-files/discounts.csv -u root -p --fields-terminated-by=','  --fields-optionally-enclosed-by='"'
Enter password:
temp.discounts: Records: 7  Deleted: 0  Skipped: 0  Warnings: 0
root@678cf3cd1587:/home#
root@678cf3cd1587:/home# cat /var/lib/mysql-files/discounts.csv
id,title,expired_date,amount
1,"1Spring Break ",20140401,20
2,"2Spring Break ",20140401,20
3,"3Spring Break ",20140401,20
4,"3Spring Break ",20140401,20
5,"3Spring Break ",20140401,20
6,"3Spring Break ",20140401,20
7,"3Spring Break ",20140401,20

But I had to create the table first in my sql, as above.

CREATE TABLE discounts (
  id INT NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT,
  title VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
  expired_date DATE NOT NULL,
  amount DECIMAL(10,2) NULL,
  PRIMARY KEY (id)
);

I also had to use this file /var/lib/mysql-files/discounts.csv as secure_file_priv is set so that I can only load files from this directory, as I understand it.

mysql> SHOW VARIABLES LIKE "secure_file_priv";
+------------------+-----------------------+
| Variable_name    | Value                 |
+------------------+-----------------------+
| secure_file_priv | /var/lib/mysql-files/ |
+------------------+-----------------------+
1 row in set (0.01 sec)

Answer 1

It looks like the space in "expired date" may be tripping you up. On the command line you'll need to quote the --columns argument, while keeping the backticks.

mysqlimport --columns="`head -n 1 discounts.csv`" \
--ignore-lines=1 temp discounts.csv -u root -p

Is the table column name actually "expired date" with the space? If so you'll need to account for that in your csv file with backticks.

id,title,`expired date`,amount

Also, ensure you specify the format of the file if it differs from the default of

FIELDS TERMINATED BY '\\t' ENCLOSED BY '' ESCAPED BY '\\' LINES TERMINATED BY '\\n' STARTING BY ''

In your case,

--fields-terminated-by=','  --fields-optionally-enclosed-by='"'