A.7 MySQL 9.1 FAQ: INFORMATION_SCHEMA

A.7.1. Where can I find documentation for the MySQL INFORMATION_SCHEMA database?

A.7.2. Is there a discussion forum for INFORMATION_SCHEMA?

A.7.3. Where can I find the ANSI SQL 2003 specification for INFORMATION_SCHEMA?

A.7.4. What is the difference between the Oracle Data Dictionary and MySQL INFORMATION_SCHEMA?

A.7.5. Can I add to or otherwise modify the tables found in the INFORMATION_SCHEMA database?

A.7.1.	Where can I find documentation for the MySQL INFORMATION_SCHEMA database?
	See Chapter 28, INFORMATION_SCHEMA Tables. You may also find the MySQL User Forums to be helpful.
A.7.2.	Is there a discussion forum for INFORMATION_SCHEMA?
	See the MySQL User Forums.
A.7.3.	Where can I find the ANSI SQL 2003 specification for INFORMATION_SCHEMA?
	Unfortunately, the official specifications are not freely available. (ANSI makes them available for purchase.) However, there are books available, such as SQL-99 Complete, Really by Peter Gulutzan and Trudy Pelzer, that provide a comprehensive overview of the standard, including INFORMATION_SCHEMA.
A.7.4.	What is the difference between the Oracle Data Dictionary and MySQL INFORMATION_SCHEMA?
	Both Oracle and MySQL provide metadata in tables. However, Oracle and MySQL use different table names and column names. The MySQL implementation is more similar to those found in DB2 and SQL Server, which also support INFORMATION_SCHEMA as defined in the SQL standard.
A.7.5.	Can I add to or otherwise modify the tables found in the INFORMATION_SCHEMA database?
	No. Since applications may rely on a certain standard structure, this should not be modified. For this reason, we cannot support bugs or other issues which result from modifying INFORMATION_SCHEMA tables or data.