Adding a line break in MySQL INSERT INTO text

Could someone tell me how to add a new line in a text that I enter in a MySql table?

I tried using the '\n' in the line I entered with INSERT INTO statement but '\n' is shown as it is.

Actually I have created a table in MS Access with some data. MS Access adds new line with '\n'. I am converting MS Access table data into MySql . But when I convert, the '\n' is ignored and all the text is shown in one single line when I display it from MySql table on a PHP form.

Can anyone tell me how MySQL can add a new line in a text? Awaiting response, thanks!!

Solution 1:

If you're OK with a SQL command that spreads across multiple lines, then oedo's suggestion is the easiest:

INSERT INTO mytable (myfield) VALUES ('hi this is some text
and this is a linefeed.
and another');

I just had a situation where it was preferable to have the SQL statement all on one line, so I found that a combination of CONCAT_WS() and CHAR() worked for me.

INSERT INTO mytable (myfield) VALUES (CONCAT_WS(CHAR(10 using utf8), 'hi this is some text', 'and this is a linefeed.', 'and another'));

Solution 2:

in an actual SQL query, you just add a newline

INSERT INTO table (text) VALUES ('hi this is some text
and this is a linefeed.
and another');

Solution 3:

For the record, I wanted to add some line breaks into existing data and I got \n to work ok...

Sample data:

Sentence. Sentence. Sentence

I did:

UPDATE table SET field = REPLACE(field, '. ', '.\r\n')

However, it also worked with just \r and just \n.

Solution 4:

INSERT INTO test VALUES('a line\nanother line');

\n just works fine here

Solution 5:

MySQL can record linebreaks just fine in most cases, but the problem is, you need <br /> tags in the actual string for your browser to show the breaks. Since you mentioned PHP, you can use the nl2br() function to convert a linebreak character ("\n") into HTML <br /> tag.

Just use it like this:

<?php
echo nl2br("Hello, World!\n I hate you so much");
?>

Output (in HTML):

Hello, World!<br>I hate you so much

Here's a link to the manual: http://php.net/manual/en/function.nl2br.php