Can you use a MySQL Query to Completely Create a Copy of the Database

Question

I have a LIVE version of a MySQL database with 5 tables and a TEST version.

I am continually using phpMyAdmin to make a copy of each table in the LIVE version to the TEST version.

Does anyone have the mysql query statement to make a complete copy of a database? The query string would need to account for structure, data, auto increment values, and any other things associated with the tables that need to be copied.

Thanks.

Answer 1

Ok, after a lot of research, googling, and reading through everyone's comments herein, I produced the following script -- which I now run from the browser address bar. Tested it and it does exactly what I needed it to do. Thanks for everyone's help.

<?php
function duplicateTables($sourceDB=NULL, $targetDB=NULL) {
    $link = mysql_connect('{server}', '{username}', '{password}') or die(mysql_error()); // connect to database
    $result = mysql_query('SHOW TABLES FROM ' . $sourceDB) or die(mysql_error());
    while($row = mysql_fetch_row($result)) {
        mysql_query('DROP TABLE IF EXISTS `' . $targetDB . '`.`' . $row[0] . '`') or die(mysql_error());
        mysql_query('CREATE TABLE `' . $targetDB . '`.`' . $row[0] . '` LIKE `' . $sourceDB . '`.`' . $row[0] . '`') or die(mysql_error());
        mysql_query('INSERT INTO `' . $targetDB . '`.`' . $row[0] . '` SELECT * FROM `' . $sourceDB . '`.`' . $row[0] . '`') or die(mysql_error());
        mysql_query('OPTIMIZE TABLE `' . $targetDB . '`.`' . $row[0] . '`') or die(mysql_error());
    }
    mysql_free_result($result);
    mysql_close($link);
} // end duplicateTables()
duplicateTables('liveDB', 'testDB');
?>

Answer 2

Depending on your access to the server. I suggest using straight mysql and mysqldump commands. That's all phpMyAdmin is doing under the hood.