Find and replace entire mysql database

i would like to do a find and replace inside an entire database not just a table.

How can i alter the script below to work?

 update [table_name] set [field_name] = replace([field_name],'[string_to_find]','[string_to_replace]');

Do i just use an asterix?

 update * set [field_name] = replace([field_name],'[string_to_find]','[string_to_replace]');

sqldump to a text file, find/replace, re-import the sqldump.

Dump the database to a text file
mysqldump -u root -p[root_password] [database_name] > dumpfilename.sql

Restore the database after you have made changes to it.
mysql -u root -p[root_password] [database_name] < dumpfilename.sql

Update old URL to new URL in word-press mysql Query:

UPDATE wp_options SET option_value = replace(option_value, 'http://olddomain.com', 'http://newdomain.com') WHERE option_name = 'home' OR option_name = 'siteurl';

UPDATE wp_posts SET guid = replace(guid, 'http://olddomain.com','http://newdomain.com');

UPDATE wp_posts SET post_content = replace(post_content, 'http://olddomain.com', 'http://newdomain.com');

UPDATE wp_posts SET post_excerpt = replace(post_excerpt, 'http://olddomain.com', 'http://newdomain.com');

UPDATE wp_postmeta SET meta_value = replace(meta_value, 'http://olddomain.com', 'http://newdomain.com');

This strongly implies that your data IS NOT NORMALISED to begin with.

Something like this should work (NB you've not mentioned of your using any other languages - so its written as a MySQL stored procedure)

 create procedure replace_all(find varchar(255), 
        replce varchar(255), 
        indb varcv=char(255))
 DECLARE loopdone INTEGER DEFAULT 0;
 DECLARE currtable varchar(100);
 DECLARE alltables CURSOR FOR SELECT t.tablename, c.column_name 
    FROM information_schema.tables t,
    information_schema.columns c
    WHERE t.table_schema=indb
    AND c.table_schema=indb
    AND t.table_name=c.table_name;

 DECLARE CONTINUE HANDLER FOR NOT FOUND
     SET loopdone = 1;

 OPEN alltables;

 tableloop: LOOP
    FETCH alltables INTO currtable, currcol; 
    IF (loopdone>0) THEN LEAVE LOOP;
    END IF;
         SET stmt=CONCAT('UPDATE ', 
                  indb, '.', currtable, ' SET ',
                  currcol, ' = word_sub(\'', find, 
                  '\','\'', replce, '\') WHERE ',
                  currcol, ' LIKE \'%', find, '%\'');
         PREPARE s1 FROM stmt;
         EXECUTE s1;
         DEALLOCATE PREPARE s1;
     END LOOP;
 END //

I'll leave it to you to work out how to declare the word_sub function.