To reverse engineer using a create script, choose the File, Import, Reverse Engineer MySQL Create Script... menu items. This opens a file open dialog box with the default file type set to an SQL script file, a file with the extension sql.

You can create a data definition (DDL) script by executing the mysqldump db_name --no-data > script_file.sql command. Using the --no-data option ensures that the script contains only DDL statements. However, if you are working with a script that also contains DML statements you need not remove them; they will be ignored.

Use the --databases option with mysqldump if you wish to create the database as well as all its objects. If there is no CREATE DATABASE db_name statement in your script file, you must import the database objects into an existing schema or, if there is no schema, a new unnamed schema is created.

If your script creates a database, MySQL Workbench creates a new physical schemata tab on the MySQL Model page.

Any database objects may be imported from a script file in this fashion: tables, views, routines, and routine groups. Any indexes, keys, and constraints are also imported. Objects imported using an SQL script can be manipulated within MySQL Workbench the same as other objects.

Before exiting, be sure to save the schema. Choose the File, Save menu item and the reverse-engineered database will be saved as a MySQL Workbench file with the extension mwb.

See Section 7.8.1, “Importing a Data Definition SQL Script”, for a tutorial on reverse engineering the sakila database.