Copy MySQL Database Structure without Data

Three easy steps to copy the structure of a MySQL database, i.e. the table definitions but no rows/records/data:

1. Create the new database, either from MySQL Query Browser (part of MySQL GUI Tools) or MySQL Command Line:

CREATE DATABASE `new_database_name`;

2. Copy the database structure using the mysqldump command from a dos command prompt. Note: If MySQL is not in your path you will have to navigate to the MySQL bin directory, on my machine this is in C:\Program Files\MySQL\MySQL Server 5.1\bin.

mysqldump -d -u root -p -v original_database_name > c:\temp\dbstruct.sql

3. Restore the copied database structure to your new database from the same dos command prompt as in step 2.

mysql.exe -uroot -p new_database_name < c:\temp\dbstruct.sql

Done!

Some notes:
– I used MySQL Server 5.1 when testing this but should work also with earlier versions. If you can or cannot get it to work with another version please add a comment.
– In this example I used root as user but any user with read and create permissions would work.

[Edit: Use mysqldump -R parameter to backup stored procedures and functions, above example would be:
mysqldump -d -u root -p -v -R original_database_name > c:\temp\dbstruct.sql
Link to mysqldump in MySQL Reference Manual ]