Re: overwrite / replace existing external.txt file

[Kai Voigt]

Short Answer: You have to remove the file yourself on operation system level before MySQL can create it again.

Long Explanation: MySQL won't remove existing files for various reasons. E.g. it prevents you from overwriting important files, like /etc/passwd on a UNIX system. Also keep in mind that MySQL is usually running under a non-privileged account and will create all files world-writable. So, it's basically security issues not to overwrite existing files.

Read http://dev.mysql.com/doc/mysql/en/select.html for more about the "into outfile" syntax.

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Kai Voigt, Senior Instructor, MySQL AB
[e-mail], www.mysql.com
Office: Kiel, Germany