> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://mariadb.com/docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/clientserver-protocol/2-text-protocol/com_query.md).

# COM\_QUERY

With the `COM_QUERY` command, the client sends the server an SQL statement to be executed immediately.

## Fields

* [int<1>](/docs/server/reference/clientserver-protocol/protocol-data-types.md#fixed-length-integers) `0x03` : `COM_QUERY` header.
* [string\<EOF>](/docs/server/reference/clientserver-protocol/protocol-data-types.md#end-of-file-length-strings) SQL statement.

The SQL statement should be properly escaped. The escape character is usually a backslash (`\`) = `0x5c`. However, if the status flag returned by the last [OK Packet](/docs/server/reference/clientserver-protocol/4-server-response-packets/ok_packet.md#status-flag) had the `NO_BACKSLASH_ESCAPES` bit set, the escape character is a single quote (`'` = `0x60`).

If the escape character is a backslash, the following characters are escaped:

* Single quote (`'` = `0x60`).
* Backslash (`\` = `0x5c`).
* Double quote (`"` = `0x22`).
* Null character (`0x00`).

If the escape character is a single quote, only the single quote (`'` = `0x60`) can be escaped.

## Response

The server can answer with 4 different responses that can be differentiated by the first byte (packet header):

* `0xFF` - [ERR\_Packet](/docs/server/reference/clientserver-protocol/4-server-response-packets/err_packet.md) if any error occurs.
* `0x00` - [OK\_Packet](/docs/server/reference/clientserver-protocol/4-server-response-packets/ok_packet.md) when query execution works without result set.
* `0xFB` - [LOCAL\_INFILE Packet](/docs/server/reference/clientserver-protocol/4-server-response-packets/packet_local_infile.md) if the query was `LOCAL INFILE ...`.
* Or a [result set](/docs/server/reference/clientserver-protocol/4-server-response-packets/result-set-packets.md), when the query returns results (in case of a `SELECT` query, for example).

### Example

|                                                 |                 |
| ----------------------------------------------- | --------------- |
| 1b 00 00 00 03 44 52 4f 50 20 54 41 42 4c 45 20 | .....DROP TABLE |
| 49 46 20 45 58 49 53 54 53 20 62 75 6c 6b 31    | IF EXISTS bulk1 |

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