import .sql file into mysql from mac command line. tried mysql -u root -p db_name > path/to/dbfile.sql

Question

I have tried doing it from the command line

mysql -u root -p db_name > ~/Documents/db_name.sql 

I have tried doing it from mysqlimport

mysqlimport -u root -p db_name ~/Documents/db_name.sql 

I have tried both while being in the correct directory using just the file name.

I have tried entering mysql using

mysql -u root -p
use db_name;
source ~/Documents/db_name.sql;
(nothing happens - no response)
(tried with absolute path - no response)
\. ~/Documents/db_name.sql
(nothing happens)

I feel like I'm missing something. This seems like a trivial operation according to the last 30 minutes of googling and attempts.

Ultimately I had to copy and paste the entire .sql file into the mysql shell while using the correct db.

I feel like a caveman. Please help.

Edit: SQL file contents

-- phpMyAdmin SQL Dump
-- version 4.4.15.5
-- http://www.phpmyadmin.net
--
-- Host: 127.0.0.1:8889
-- Generation Time: May 09, 2017 at 09:27 PM
-- Server version: 5.6.34-log
-- PHP Version: 7.0.13

SET SQL_MODE = "NO_AUTO_VALUE_ON_ZERO";
SET time_zone = "+00:00";


/*!40101 SET @OLD_CHARACTER_SET_CLIENT=@@CHARACTER_SET_CLIENT */;
/*!40101 SET @OLD_CHARACTER_SET_RESULTS=@@CHARACTER_SET_RESULTS */;
/*!40101 SET @OLD_COLLATION_CONNECTION=@@COLLATION_CONNECTION */;
/*!40101 SET NAMES utf8mb4 */;

--
-- Database: `movie-buff`
--

-- --------------------------------------------------------

--
-- Table structure for table `directors`
--

CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `directors` (
  `director_id` int(11) NOT NULL,
  `first` varchar(60) DEFAULT NULL,
  `last` varchar(60) DEFAULT NULL,
  `country` varchar(100) DEFAULT NULL
) ENGINE=InnoDB AUTO_INCREMENT=10 DEFAULT CHARSET=latin1;

--
-- Dumping data for table `directors`
--

INSERT INTO `directors` (`director_id`, `first`, `last`, `country`) VALUES
(1, 'Jean-Pierre', 'Jeunet', 'France'),
(2, 'Jean', 'Renoir', 'France'),
(3, 'Akira', 'Kurosawa', 'Japan'),
(4, 'Jane', 'Campion', 'New Zealand'),
(5, 'Sally', 'Potter', 'UK'),
(6, 'Kasi', 'Lemmons', 'USA'),
(7, 'Ava', 'DuVernay', 'USA'),
(8, 'Todd', 'Haynes', 'USA'),
(9, 'Marleen', 'Gorris', 'Netherlands');

-- --------------------------------------------------------

--
-- Table structure for table `movies`
--

CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `movies` (
  `movie_id` int(11) NOT NULL,
  `title` varchar(130) DEFAULT NULL,
  `year` int(11) DEFAULT NULL,
  `director_id` int(11) NOT NULL
) ENGINE=InnoDB AUTO_INCREMENT=23 DEFAULT CHARSET=latin1;

--
-- Dumping data for table `movies`
--

INSERT INTO `movies` (`movie_id`, `title`, `year`, `director_id`) VALUES
(1, 'The City of Lost Children', 1995, 1),
(2, 'Amelie', 2001, 1),
(3, 'The Rules of the Game', 1939, 2),
(4, 'La Grande Illusion', 1937, 2),
(5, 'The Lower Depths', 1936, 2),
(6, 'Alien: Resurrection', 1997, 1),
(7, 'Ran', 1985, 3),
(8, 'Seven Samurai', 1954, 3),
(9, 'Throne of Blood', 1957, 3),
(10, 'An Angel at My Table', 1990, 4),
(11, 'The Piano', 1993, 4),
(12, 'Orlando', 1992, 5),
(13, 'The Tango Lesson', 1997, 5),
(14, 'Talk to Me', 2007, 6),
(15, 'Eve''s Bayou', 1997, 6),
(16, 'Selma', 2014, 7),
(18, 'Far From Heaven', 2002, 8),
(19, 'I''m Not There', 2007, 8),
(20, 'Carol', 2015, 8),
(21, 'Antonia''s Line', 1995, 9),
(22, 'Mrs. Dalloway', 1997, 9);

-- --------------------------------------------------------

--
-- Table structure for table `viewers`
--

CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `viewers` (
  `viewer_id` int(11) NOT NULL,
  `first` varchar(60) DEFAULT NULL,
  `last` varchar(60) DEFAULT NULL,
  `email` varchar(80) DEFAULT NULL
) ENGINE=InnoDB AUTO_INCREMENT=7 DEFAULT CHARSET=latin1;

--
-- Dumping data for table `viewers`
--

INSERT INTO `viewers` (`viewer_id`, `first`, `last`, `email`) VALUES
(1, 'Tim', 'Labonne', 'tim_labonne@live.com'),
(2, 'Alicen', 'Brightley', 'abrightley@yahoo.com'),
(3, 'Renard', 'Sartor', 'rsartor@washu.edu'),
(4, 'Luigi', 'Greco', 'elgreco@live.com'),
(5, 'Jackie', 'Linwood', 'jLinwood@yahoo.com'),
(6, 'Caroline', 'Smith', 'youknowwho@live.com');

-- --------------------------------------------------------

--
-- Table structure for table `viewings`
--

CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `viewings` (
  `viewing_id` int(11) NOT NULL,
  `viewer_id` int(11) NOT NULL,
  `movie_id` int(11) NOT NULL,
  `date_viewed` date DEFAULT NULL
) ENGINE=InnoDB AUTO_INCREMENT=34 DEFAULT CHARSET=latin1;

--
-- Dumping data for table `viewings`
--

INSERT INTO `viewings` (`viewing_id`, `viewer_id`, `movie_id`, `date_viewed`) VALUES
(1, 1, 4, '2008-10-07'),
(2, 1, 2, '2009-12-18'),
(3, 1, 1, '2010-02-27'),
(4, 1, 21, '2010-03-14'),
(5, 2, 21, '2015-04-15'),
(6, 2, 22, '2015-10-04'),
(7, 2, 7, '2015-11-30'),
(8, 2, 9, '2016-01-05'),
(9, 2, 12, '2016-04-14'),
(10, 2, 16, '2017-01-23'),
(11, 3, 8, '2016-02-14'),
(12, 3, 18, '2016-03-20'),
(13, 3, 22, '2016-04-07'),
(14, 4, 20, '2017-01-03'),
(15, 4, 18, '2017-01-14'),
(16, 4, 15, '2017-02-08'),
(17, 4, 10, '2007-09-23'),
(18, 4, 2, '2017-03-05'),
(19, 4, 4, '2017-04-13'),
(20, 4, 12, '2017-04-30'),
(21, 4, 14, '2017-05-02'),
(22, 4, 21, '2017-05-08'),
(23, 5, 2, '2013-08-25'),
(24, 5, 3, '2013-12-16'),
(25, 5, 7, '2014-03-18'),
(26, 6, 11, '2013-11-30'),
(27, 6, 2, '2013-12-18'),
(28, 6, 14, '2014-04-29'),
(29, 6, 5, '2016-12-03'),
(30, 6, 13, '2017-01-09'),
(31, 6, 18, '2017-02-13'),
(32, 6, 21, '2017-03-14'),
(33, 6, 15, '2017-04-15');

--
-- Indexes for dumped tables
--

--
-- Indexes for table `directors`
--
ALTER TABLE `directors`
  ADD PRIMARY KEY (`director_id`);

--
-- Indexes for table `movies`
--
ALTER TABLE `movies`
  ADD PRIMARY KEY (`movie_id`),
  ADD KEY `director_id` (`director_id`);

--
-- Indexes for table `viewers`
--
ALTER TABLE `viewers`
  ADD PRIMARY KEY (`viewer_id`);

--
-- Indexes for table `viewings`
--
ALTER TABLE `viewings`
  ADD PRIMARY KEY (`viewing_id`),
  ADD KEY `viewer_id` (`viewer_id`),
  ADD KEY `movie_id` (`movie_id`);

--
-- AUTO_INCREMENT for dumped tables
--

--
-- AUTO_INCREMENT for table `directors`
--
ALTER TABLE `directors`
  MODIFY `director_id` int(11) NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT,AUTO_INCREMENT=10;
--
-- AUTO_INCREMENT for table `movies`
--
ALTER TABLE `movies`
  MODIFY `movie_id` int(11) NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT,AUTO_INCREMENT=23;
--
-- AUTO_INCREMENT for table `viewers`
--
ALTER TABLE `viewers`
  MODIFY `viewer_id` int(11) NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT,AUTO_INCREMENT=7;
--
-- AUTO_INCREMENT for table `viewings`
--
ALTER TABLE `viewings`
  MODIFY `viewing_id` int(11) NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT,AUTO_INCREMENT=34;
--
-- Constraints for dumped tables
--

--
-- Constraints for table `movies`
--
ALTER TABLE `movies`
  ADD CONSTRAINT `movies_ibfk_1` FOREIGN KEY (`director_id`) REFERENCES `directors` (`director_id`);

--
-- Constraints for table `viewings`
--
ALTER TABLE `viewings`
  ADD CONSTRAINT `viewings_ibfk_1` FOREIGN KEY (`viewer_id`) REFERENCES `viewers` (`viewer_id`),
  ADD CONSTRAINT `viewings_ibfk_2` FOREIGN KEY (`movie_id`) REFERENCES `movies` (`movie_id`);

/*!40101 SET CHARACTER_SET_CLIENT=@OLD_CHARACTER_SET_CLIENT */;
/*!40101 SET CHARACTER_SET_RESULTS=@OLD_CHARACTER_SET_RESULTS */;
/*!40101 SET COLLATION_CONNECTION=@OLD_COLLATION_CONNECTION */;

Answer 1

I can't reproduce the problem:

File: ~/Documents/db_name.sql

CREATE DATABASE IF NOT EXISTS `movie-buff`;

USE `movie-buff`;

--
-- Table structure for table `directors`
--

CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `directors` (
  `director_id` int(11) NOT NULL,
  `first` varchar(60) DEFAULT NULL,
  `last` varchar(60) DEFAULT NULL,
  `country` varchar(100) DEFAULT NULL
) ENGINE=InnoDB AUTO_INCREMENT=10 DEFAULT CHARSET=latin1;

--
-- Dumping data for table `directors`
--

INSERT INTO `directors` (`director_id`, `first`, `last`, `country`)
VALUES
(1, 'Jean-Pierre', 'Jeunet', 'France'),
(2, 'Jean', 'Renoir', 'France'),
(3, 'Akira', 'Kurosawa', 'Japan'),
(4, 'Jane', 'Campion', 'New Zealand'),
(5, 'Sally', 'Potter', 'UK'),
(6, 'Kasi', 'Lemmons', 'USA'),
(7, 'Ava', 'DuVernay', 'USA'),
(8, 'Todd', 'Haynes', 'USA'),
(9, 'Marleen', 'Gorris', 'Netherlands');

MySQL:

mysql> source ~/Documents/db_name.sql
Database changed
Query OK, 0 rows affected (0.01 sec)

Query OK, 9 rows affected (0.00 sec)
Records: 9  Duplicates: 0  Warnings: 0

It also works with:

• mysql> \\. ~/Documents/db_name.sql
• $ mysql -u user -p movie-buff < ~/Documents/db_name.sql

UPDATE

In the case of mysql> source ~/Documents/db_name.sql , mysql> \\. ~/Documents/db_name.sql mysql> \\. ~/Documents/db_name.sql and $ mysql -u user -p < ~/Documents/db_name.sql (without specifying the database) the database may not be created, but must be created in the script (see script above). In the case of $ mysql -u user -p movie-buff < ~/Documents/db_name.sql the database must be created before.

Answer 2

You should use the mysql command in order to import a mysqldump sql file:

mysql -u root -p db_name < ~/Documents/db_name.sql

The mysqlimport utility is used to insert data from textfiles into the database, it is a wrapper around the LOAD DATA INFILE sql statement. From mysqlimport documentation:

The mysqlimport client provides a command-line interface to the LOAD DATA INFILE SQL statement. Most options to mysqlimport correspond directly to clauses of LOAD DATA INFILE syntax. See Section 13.2.6, “LOAD DATA INFILE Syntax”.