#### 4.5.1.4 mysql Client Server-Side Help

```
mysql> help search_string
```

 If you provide an argument to the `help` command, [**mysql**](mysql.html) uses it as a search string to access server-side help from the contents of the MySQL Reference Manual. The proper operation of this command requires that the help tables in the `mysql` database be initialized with help topic information (see [Section 5.1.17, “Server-Side Help Support”](server-side-help-support.html)).

 If there is no match for the search string, the search fails:

```
mysql> help me

Nothing found
Please try to run 'help contents' for a list of all accessible topics
```

 Use [**help contents**](help.html) to see a list of the help categories:

```
mysql> help contents
You asked for help about help category: "Contents"
For more information, type 'help <item>', where <item> is one of the
following categories:
   Account Management
   Administration
   Data Definition
   Data Manipulation
   Data Types
   Functions
   Functions and Modifiers for Use with GROUP BY
   Geographic Features
   Language Structure
   Plugins
   Storage Engines
   Stored Routines
   Table Maintenance
   Transactions
   Triggers
```

 If the search string matches multiple items, [**mysql**](mysql.html) shows a list of matching topics:

```
mysql> help logs
Many help items for your request exist.
To make a more specific request, please type 'help <item>',
where <item> is one of the following topics:
   SHOW
   SHOW BINARY LOGS
   SHOW ENGINE
   SHOW LOGS
```

 Use a topic as the search string to see the help entry for that topic:

```
mysql> help show binary logs
Name: 'SHOW BINARY LOGS'
Description:
Syntax:
SHOW BINARY LOGS
SHOW MASTER LOGS

Lists the binary log files on the server. This statement is used as
part of the procedure described in [purge-binary-logs], that shows how
to determine which logs can be purged.
```

```
mysql> SHOW BINARY LOGS;
+---------------+-----------+-----------+
| Log_name      | File_size | Encrypted |
+---------------+-----------+-----------+
| binlog.000015 |    724935 | Yes       |
| binlog.000016 |    733481 | Yes       |
+---------------+-----------+-----------+
```

 The search string can contain the wildcard characters `%` and `_`. These have the same meaning as for pattern-matching operations performed with the [`LIKE`](string-comparison-functions.html#operator_like) operator. For example, `HELP rep%` returns a list of topics that begin with `rep`:

```
mysql> HELP rep%
Many help items for your request exist.
To make a more specific request, please type 'help <item>',
where <item> is one of the following
topics:
   REPAIR TABLE
   REPEAT FUNCTION
   REPEAT LOOP
   REPLACE
   REPLACE FUNCTION
```

