Introducing mycli: A Feature‑Rich MySQL Command‑Line Client

mycli is a Python‑developed MySQL client that leverages the prompt_toolkit library to provide an interactive command‑line experience with modern features.

Installation : Install via pip with pip install mycli . If installation rights are restricted on a server, coordinate with the SA to define the package in Puppet.

Basic Usage : Connect to a database using $ mycli -u my_user -h my_host.com my_database .

Configuration : The first run creates ~/.myclirc , and mycli also reads the [client] section of MySQL’s configuration files.

Key Features :

Auto‑completion: Provides context‑aware suggestions beyond the basic MySQL client’s --auto-rehash option, allowing selection with the right‑arrow key.

High‑risk operation confirmation: Prompts for a second confirmation on dangerous commands such as drop , shutdown , delete , truncate , and alter , displaying messages like “Wise choice” or “Your call”.

Syntax highlighting: Multiple themes are available; edit the syntax_style entry in ~/.myclirc (e.g., syntax_style = monokai ).

Formatted output: By default, results are piped through less with a sensible LESS="-XFR" configuration.

Command bookmarking: Save frequent SQL statements with \fs alias , list with \f , execute with \f alias , and delete with \fd alias .

Logging: Enable log_file = ~/.mycli.log for general logs and audit_log = ~/.mycli-audit.log for timestamped command audits.

Multiline mode: Activate permanently by setting multi_line = True in ~/.myclirc or temporarily with the F3 key.

Login credentials: Besides the standard .my.cnf and login path, mycli supports DSN aliases defined under [alias_dsn] in ~/.myclirc , e.g., [alias_dsn] testconn = mysql://root:123456@localhost:3306 .

Additional capabilities: SSL connections, pretty‑printed tables, and query looping are also supported.

For a complete reference, consult the official mycli documentation at https://www.mycli.net/ .

Conclusion : mycli offers a more convenient, safer, and feature‑rich alternative to the default MySQL client, making it worthwhile to install and adopt for everyday database work.