INFORMATION_SCHEMA信息数据库----有时也称“数据词典”和“系统目录”

mysql> show databases;
+--------------------+
| Database           |
+--------------------+
| information_schema |
| crashcourse        |
| mysql              |
| school             |
| test               |
+--------------------+
6 rows in set (0.00 sec)

mysql下面的INFORMATION_SCHEMA信息数据库的作用：   INFORMATION_SCHEMA是信息数据库，其中保存着关于MySQL服务器所维护的所有其他数据库的信息。          在 INFORMATION_SCHEMA中，有数个只读表 。它们实际上是视图，而不是基本表，因此，你将无法看到与之相关的任何文件。

mysql> select table_schema,table_type,table_name from tables;
+--------------------+-------------+---------------------------------------+
| table_schema       | table_type  | table_name                            |
+--------------------+-------------+---------------------------------------+
| information_schema | SYSTEM VIEW | CHARACTER_SETS                        |
| information_schema | SYSTEM VIEW | COLLATIONS                            |
| information_schema | SYSTEM VIEW | COLLATION_CHARACTER_SET_APPLICABILITY |
| information_schema | SYSTEM VIEW | COLUMNS                               |
| information_schema | SYSTEM VIEW | COLUMN_PRIVILEGES                     |
| information_schema | SYSTEM VIEW | ENGINES                               |
| information_schema | SYSTEM VIEW | EVENTS                                |
| information_schema | SYSTEM VIEW | FILES                                 |
| information_schema | SYSTEM VIEW | GLOBAL_STATUS                         |
| information_schema | SYSTEM VIEW | GLOBAL_VARIABLES                      |
| information_schema | SYSTEM VIEW | KEY_COLUMN_USAGE                      |
| information_schema | SYSTEM VIEW | PARTITIONS                            |
| information_schema | SYSTEM VIEW | PLUGINS                               |
| information_schema | SYSTEM VIEW | PROCESSLIST                           |
| information_schema | SYSTEM VIEW | PROFILING                             |
| information_schema | SYSTEM VIEW | REFERENTIAL_CONSTRAINTS               |
| information_schema | SYSTEM VIEW | ROUTINES                              |
| information_schema | SYSTEM VIEW | SCHEMATA                              |
| information_schema | SYSTEM VIEW | SCHEMA_PRIVILEGES                     |
| information_schema | SYSTEM VIEW | SESSION_STATUS                        |
| information_schema | SYSTEM VIEW | SESSION_VARIABLES                     |
| information_schema | SYSTEM VIEW | STATISTICS                            |
| information_schema | SYSTEM VIEW | TABLES                                |
| information_schema | SYSTEM VIEW | TABLE_CONSTRAINTS                     |
| information_schema | SYSTEM VIEW | TABLE_PRIVILEGES                      |
| information_schema | SYSTEM VIEW | TRIGGERS                              |
| information_schema | SYSTEM VIEW | USER_PRIVILEGES                       |
| information_schema | SYSTEM VIEW | VIEWS                                 |
| crashcourse        | BASE TABLE  | customers                             |
| crashcourse        | VIEW        | my_view_vendorlocations               |
| crashcourse        | VIEW        | myview                                |
| crashcourse        | BASE TABLE  | orderitems                            |
| crashcourse        | BASE TABLE  | orders                                |
| crashcourse        | BASE TABLE  | productnotes                          |
| crashcourse        | BASE TABLE  | products                              |
| crashcourse        | BASE TABLE  | test_table                            |
| crashcourse        | BASE TABLE  | vendors                               |
| crashcourse        | VIEW        | view_orderitemsexpanded               |
| mysql              | BASE TABLE  | columns_priv                          |
| mysql              | BASE TABLE  | db                                    |
| mysql              | BASE TABLE  | event                                 |
| mysql              | BASE TABLE  | func                                  |
| mysql              | BASE TABLE  | general_log                           |
| mysql              | BASE TABLE  | help_category                         |
| mysql              | BASE TABLE  | help_keyword                          |
| mysql              | BASE TABLE  | help_relation                         |
| mysql              | BASE TABLE  | help_topic                            |
| mysql              | BASE TABLE  | host                                  |
| mysql              | BASE TABLE  | ndb_binlog_index                      |
| mysql              | BASE TABLE  | plugin                                |
| mysql              | BASE TABLE  | proc                                  |
| mysql              | BASE TABLE  | procs_priv                            |
| mysql              | BASE TABLE  | servers                               |
| mysql              | BASE TABLE  | slow_log                              |
| mysql              | BASE TABLE  | tables_priv                           |
| mysql              | BASE TABLE  | time_zone                             |
| mysql              | BASE TABLE  | time_zone_leap_second                 |
| mysql              | BASE TABLE  | time_zone_name                        |
| mysql              | BASE TABLE  | time_zone_transition                  |
| mysql              | BASE TABLE  | time_zone_transition_type             |
| mysql              | BASE TABLE  | user                                  |
| school             | BASE TABLE  | teacher                               |
| school             | BASE TABLE  | teacher2                              |
| test               | BASE TABLE  | t                                     |
+--------------------+-------------+---------------------------------------+
68 rows in set (0.01 sec)

可以使用USE语句将 INFORMATION_SCHEMA 选择为默认数据库，但访问该数据库中所含表的唯一方式是使用SELECT语句。不能在其中插入内容，不能更新它们，也不能删除其中的内容。

扩展了一些SHOW语句，允许使用WHERE子句：

SHOW CHARACTER SET

SHOW COLLATION

SHOW COLUMNS

SHOW DATABASES

SHOW FUNCTION STATUS

SHOW KEYS

SHOW OPEN TABLES

SHOW PROCEDURE STATUS

SHOW STATUS

SHOW TABLE STATUS

SHOW TABLES

SHOW VARIABLES