Why Does MySQL Throw an Error When Using Dashes in Table Names?

Using Dashes in MySQL Table Names: A Common Pitfall

When working with MySQL databases, you may encounter an error when performing certain operations on table names that contain dashes. This error occurs because dashes are not allowed in unquoted identifiers, which by default, is the case for table names.

One typical example of this error occurs during database backups. If you have a table named "temp_01-01-000001" and attempt to select data from it, you may receive an error like:

Error Number: 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 '-01-000001' at line 1
SELECT * FROM temp_01-01-000001

This error indicates that MySQL cannot correctly identify the table name due to the presence of the dash. To resolve this issue, you must enclose the table name in backticks (`) to indicate that it is an identifier containing special characters.

The corrected query would look like this:

SELECT * FROM `temp_01-01-000001`

By adding backticks around the table name, we are explicitly telling MySQL that it is a special identifier and not just a普通的string. This will allow MySQL to correctly interpret the table name and execute the query without errors.

Remember, it is always a best practice to avoid using special characters in table names, as it can lead to compatibility issues and errors in various database operations. However, if circumstances require the use of dashes, quoting the table name with backticks is a reliable solution to work around this pitfall.

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