Find date and time of last update

[Hieronimus]

Hi all

I inherited a server running MySQL 4.* from a previous developer. Now,
the records on this database might be what I want, or they might just
be test data. I think my only chance of finding out if this is the real
thing is to find the date and time of the last insert into the
database.

How can I do that?

[onedbguru@firstdbasource.com]

Re: Find date and time of last update

select max(datefieldna mehere) from table;

Sounds like a good SQL for beginners would be a very good place to
start. The Dummy series is a great for beginners.

[Jeff North]

Re: Find date and time of last update

On 7 Apr 2006 04:24:33 -0700, in mailing.databas e.mysql "Hieronimus "
<rui.pacheco@gm ail.com>
<1144409073.740 963.301310@i39g 2000cwa.googleg roups.com> wrote:
[color=blue]
>| Hi all
>|
>| I inherited a server running MySQL 4.* from a previous developer. Now,
>| the records on this database might be what I want, or they might just
>| be test data. I think my only chance of finding out if this is the real
>| thing is to find the date and time of the last insert into the
>| database.
>|
>| How can I do that?[/color]

show table status;
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a day, I dutifully delete 99% of the emails I receive, and when
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machine at home running to pick it up every 10 minutes so I don’t
overflow some capacity somewhere, and just the other day I caught
myself wondering who will clean out my Inbox after I’m dead.

Charles Petzold. October 20, 2005
---------------------------------------------------------------

[Hieronimus]

Re: Find date and time of last update

I have no date field. I have varchar's and a couple of booleans, but no
date field.
Why did you assume I had a datefield? I never mentioned it anywhere.

[onedbguru@firstdbasource.com]

Re: Find date and time of last update

Mighty testy for someone who is asking for help...

1) if there is no DATE field (either some date/time datatype OR a
char/varchar field with date data) then show table status. BTW, most
other database engines require auditing or a date field to determine
last update times. You got lucky here....

2) methods of finding maximum values
select max(datefieldna mehere) from table;
select max(cast(char_d atefieldnameher e as date)) from table;

Again, see No 1 if these do not apply.

[Hieronimus]

Re: Find date and time of last update

Ah, yes, the audit field. Someone else has just pointed me to something
like that. I'll include one for every table I create.
Another thing, I didn't mean to be too smart, but you called me a moron
without knowing anything about me. It didn't feel right, too.

[onedbguru@firstdbasource.com]

Re: Find date and time of last update

I do not see anything in my post that would suggests that a beginner
in this field is a moron. After having been in a support role for many
years, purchased the "SQL for Dummies" book and added it to my
reference library. This was many years ago, but still have a need to
reference it on occasion as I cannot remember every nuance that is
articulated in that book and other very fine reference materials. To
suggest that someone add this book (or series of books) to their
reference library in no way suggest that the indiviual is " a moron".
I have also found that, in general, the Dummy series to be very
informative in other aspects of the IT world. There are other very
good resources on the market as well - but I never seem to recall the
titles of those books. :)

Regards,

A DBA for > 16 years and IT in general > 25 yrs. (field service,
consulting and others)

[Bill Karwin]

Re: Find date and time of last update

onedbguru@first dbasource.com wrote:[color=blue]
> I do not see anything in my post that would suggests that a beginner
> in this field is a moron.[/color]

I've decided to stop recommending "SQL for Dummies". It's a good book
that is useful to people at various levels of experience, but many
people quite understandably get the wrong message when one recommends it
as a book they should read.

Regards,
Bill K.