Importing .sql Files into MySQL Using PHP

When attempting to import a .sql file through PHP, an error may arise, indicating that the import file is not in the same folder as the script or that the values are incorrect.

Determining the Issue

The provided code executes a command using the exec() function to import the .sql file. However, the error message suggests that the import file cannot be found or that the values for the database connection are incorrect.

Alternative Approach

Rather than using the exec() function, a more reliable method is to use the MySQLi extension, which provides explicit support for MySQL database interactions in PHP.

Revised Code

connect_errno) {
    echo "Failed to connect to MySQL: (" . $mysqli->connect_errno . ") " . $mysqli->connect_error;
    exit;
}

// Get the contents of the SQL file
$sql = file_get_contents($filename);

// Execute the SQL statements
$result = $mysqli->multi_query($sql);

// Check the execution status
if ($result) {
    echo "SQL file imported successfully.";
} else {
    echo "Error importing SQL file: " . $mysqli->error;
}

// Close the connection
$mysqli->close();
?>

In this code:

• A new MySQLi connection is created using the provided credentials.
• The contents of the .sql file are read into the $sql variable.
• The multi_query() function is used to execute all the SQL statements in the file one by one.
• The status of the execution is checked, and an appropriate message is displayed.