Static MySQL Error Checking

Abstract

Coders of databases repeatedly face the problem of checking their Structured Query Language (SQL) code. Instructors face the difficulty of checking student projects and lab assignments in database courses. We collect and categorize common MySQL programming errors into three groups: data definition errors, data manipulation errors, and transaction control errors. We build these into a comprehensive list of MySQL errors, which novices are inclined make during database programming. We collected our list of common MySQL errors both from the technical literature and directly by noting errors made in assignments handed in by students. In the results section of this research, we check and summarize occurrences of these errors based on three characteristics as semantics, syntax, and logic. These data form the basis of a future static MySQL checker that will eventually assist database coders to correct their code automatically. These errors also form a useful checklist to guide students away from the mistakes that they are prone to make.