24.3.22 The INFORMATION_SCHEMA SCHEMATA Table

A schema is a database, so the SCHEMATA table provides information about databases.

The SCHEMATA table has these columns:

CATALOG_NAME
The name of the catalog to which the schema belongs. This value is always def.
SCHEMA_NAME
The name of the schema.
DEFAULT_CHARACTER_SET_NAME
The schema default character set.
DEFAULT_COLLATION_NAME
The schema default collation.
SQL_PATH
This value is always NULL.

Schema names are also available from the SHOW DATABASES statement. See Section 13.7.5.14, “SHOW DATABASES Statement”. The following statements are equivalent:

SELECT SCHEMA_NAME AS `Database`
  FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.SCHEMATA
  [WHERE SCHEMA_NAME LIKE 'wild']

SHOW DATABASES
  [LIKE 'wild']

You see only those databases for which you have some kind of privilege, unless you have the global SHOW DATABASES privilege.

Caution

Because a global privilege is considered a privilege for all databases, any global privilege enables a user to see all database names with SHOW DATABASES or by examining the INFORMATION_SCHEMA SCHEMATA table.