MySQL – Different Methods to Know MySQL Version

In SQL Server, to know the current version of the server, you can use system variable @@VERSION The same works in MySQL, and there are other ways to find the MySQL version too.

How many of you know that the same can be used in mysql to know the version?

Also there are many ways to know the version of MySQL

Method 1:

Select @@version as version

It will display the current version of the MySQL Server

There is another function named version()

Method 2:

Select version() as version

The above produces the same result as @@version

You can also use another method to know this

Method 3:

Show variables like '%version%'

The above returns a resultset with two columns variable_name and value. You can find the version where variable_name says version.

Why the MySQL Version Matters and More Ways to Check It

Knowing the exact version saves a lot of guessing. Features differ a lot between releases. For example, window functions and common table expressions arrived only in MySQL 8.0, so a query that runs fine on one server can fail with a syntax error on an older one. Minor releases matter too, because that is where bug fixes arrive.

A few more tips:

• In the mysql command line client, type STATUS or \s. The output has a Server version line along with the connection details.
• Running mysql --version from the operating system shows the version of the client program, not the server. The two can differ, so do not mix them up.
• SHOW VARIABLES LIKE 'version%' also returns version_comment, which tells you the distribution, and version_compile_os, which shows the platform.
• If you are connected to MariaDB, the version string contains the word MariaDB, which is a quick way to know what you are really talking to.

When you ask for help on a forum or open a support ticket, always include the full version string. It is the first question anyone will ask you.

In an application, you can read the version once at startup with SELECT VERSION() and write it to the log. When a bug shows up on only one server, that line in the log often explains it in seconds.

Published by Pinal Dave on SQLAuthority. More of my work at pinaldave.com.