In this tutorial, we will cover essential MySQL operations, including backing up your database, restoring it from a dump, truncating tables, and using the SOURCE command. By the end of this guide, you'll have a solid understanding of how to manage MySQL databases effectively, even on live servers.
Before making any changes to your database, it's crucial to back up your data. The mysqldump utility allows you to export your database or specific tables into a .sql file, which you can later use to restore your data.