Is case relevant in SQL commands?

Question

MySQL 5.5 on Ubuntu 12.04.1

I know that the databases, users, tables, etc. are case-sensitive (at least on Linux). But what about the commands themselves?

For example, compare:

SELECT *  FROM `PINs` WHERE `pin` > 1000

and:

select * from `PINs` where `pin` > 1000

I know both "work," but are there any down-sides to using lower-case commands?

No, you don't "know" that databases and tables are case sensitive just because the OS is Linux, as that is configurable. Never make assumptions when dealing with MySQL. Better yet, never make assumptions about anything. — John Gardeniers, Sep 17, 2012 at 20:35
Nothing is wrong with assuming the worst case scenario. Assuming something is case-sensitive, and then being wrong wouldn't cause problems... Vice versa would... — Soviero, Sep 17, 2012 at 21:13
assuming something is case sensitive and being wrong most certainly can cause problems. I've seen plenty of code where devs have relied on case sensitivity, only to see the entire mess come crashing down when case sensitivity is disabled. — John Gardeniers, Sep 17, 2012 at 21:45

Michael Hampton · Accepted Answer · 2012-09-17 19:48:15Z

4

MySQL commands are not case sensitive. However, many people capitalize them anyway to make them visually distinct from other parts of the query.

answered Sep 17, 2012 at 19:48

Michael Hampton

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