After connecting to MariaDB, you must select a database to work with because many databases may exist. There are two ways to perform this task: from the command prompt or through a PHP script.
The Command Prompt
In choosing a database at the command prompt, simply utilize the SQL command ‘use’:
[root@host]# mysql -u root -p Enter password:****** mysql> use PRODUCTS; Database changed mysql> SELECT database(); +--------------------+ | Database | +--------------------+ | PRODUCTS | +--------------------+
Once you select a database, all subsequent commands will operate on the chosen database.
Note : All names (e.g., database, table, fields) are case sensitive. Ensure commands conform to the proper case.
PHP Select Database Script
PHP provides the mysql_select_db function for database selection. The function uses two parameters, one optional, and returns a value of “true” on successful selection, or false on failure.
Syntax
Review the following select database script syntax.
bool mysql_select_db( db_name, connection );
The description of the parameters is given below:
| Parameter | Description |
| db_name | This required parameter specifies the name of the database to use. |
| connection | When not specified, this optional parameter uses the most recent connection used. |
Try the following example code for selecting a database:
<html>
<head>
<title>Select a MariaDB Database</title>
</head>
<body>
<?php
$dbhost = 'localhost:3036';
$dbuser = 'guest1';
$dbpass = 'guest1a';
$conn = mysql_connect($dbhost, $dbuser, $dbpass);
if(! $conn )
{
die('Could not connect: ' . mysql_error());
}
echo 'Connected successfully';
mysql_select_db( 'PRODUCTS' );
mysql_close($conn);
?>
</body>
</html>
On successful selection, you will see the following output:
mysql> Connected successfully