Problems with DECLARE statement in SQL script

[Ken Wood]

Hello,

I recently purchased the "Data Analysis Using SQL & Excel", 2nd edition, by Gordon Linoff. There are a number of data files (in .txt format) that are provided with the book that I am trying to load into MySQL on my Mac. The author provides a SQL script file which is supposed to accomplish this. I have tried running the script and I immediately get errors.

Here are the instructions that the author provides in script file:

/*
* Download SQL Server from the web (from www.microsoft.com) and install on machine.
* Then:
* 1) Download data into some directory on the machine
* 2) Open SQL Server Management Studio
* 3) Set @LOADDIR in this script to the directory where you downloaded the files
*/

USE SQLBook

DECLARE @LOADDIR VARCHAR(255) = '/Users/woodzsan/Desktop/SQLBookData';
DECLARE @SQL NVARCHAR(MAX);

The error message I get is:

Error Code: 1064. You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near 'DECLARE @LOADDIR VARCHAR(255) = '/Users/woodzsan/Desktop/SQLBookData'' at line 3

The data files are located in a folder called SQLBookData on my Mac Desktop.
Being a MySQL neophyte, I have no idea what to do there.

Please help...thanks!

Ken Wood