I'm using Python + MySQL and want to use parameterized query. I'm stuck. I've encountered an error and can't figure out how to solve it. I've spent a day, checked dozens of articles, used various options (sinle quotes, double quotes, prepared statements) and still no luck.
Requirements: use Parameterized Query
Here is basic demo of the issue:
#!/usr/bin/python3
import mysql.connector as mysql
conn = mysql.connect(host=server, user=username, passwd=password, autocommit=True)
try:
create_database_query = "CREATE DATABASE %s;"
db_name = "BOOKS"
cursor = conn.cursor()
print(f"Creating {db_name} database... ", end='')
cursor.execute(create_database_query, (db_name,))
print("Success")
except mysql.Error as error:
print("Parameterized query failed {}".format(error))
Output: Creating BOOKS database... Parameterized query failed 1064 (42000): 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 ''BOOKS'' at line 1
So it looks like it uses too many quotes (2 single quotes on each side). The code above works fine if I change the following line: create_database_query = "CREATE DATABASE %s;" and put backtick around %s
The problem that now it creates a database but with invalid chars - 'BOOKS' (quotes are now part of db name). Duh...
If I use prepared statements then the same issue occurs but slightly different error message: 1064 (42000): 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 '?' at line 1
Environment:
- MacOS Catalina
- Python 3.8
- PyCharm 2019.3 IDE
- MySQL 8.0.19
- mysql-connector-python module 8.0.19
What is going on? Any ideas? Thanks
You can't use query parameters for identifiers (like a database name or table name or column name).
Query parameters can be used only in place of a constant value — a quoted string, quoted date/time, or a numeric value. Not identifiers, expressions, SQL keywords, etc.
To combine a database name with your CREATE DATABASE statement, you have to format it into the string in a way that forms the full statement before it is sent to MySQL.
db_name = "BOOKS"
create_database_query = "CREATE DATABASE %s;" % db_name
cursor.execute(create_database_query)
Because this creates a risk of SQL injection when you format variables into your string, it's up to you to make sure the db_name is safe.
Update: Thanks to @Parfait for the reminder about current best practices of string-formatting.
Prefer:
db_name = "BOOKS"
create_database_query = "CREATE DATABASE {};".format(db_name)
Or F-strings:
db_name = "BOOKS"
create_database_query = f"CREATE DATABASE {db_name};"
(In other words, Python has become Ruby ;-)