# Information Schema PARAMETERS Table

The [Information Schema](/docs/server/reference/system-tables/information-schema.md) `PARAMETERS` table stores information about [stored procedures](/docs/server/server-usage/stored-routines/stored-procedures.md) and [stored functions](/docs/server/server-usage/stored-routines/stored-functions.md) parameters.

It contains the following columns:

| Column                     | Description                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| -------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| SPECIFIC\_CATALOG          | Always def.                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| SPECIFIC\_SCHEMA           | Database name containing the stored routine parameter.                                                                                                                                             |
| SPECIFIC\_NAME             | Stored routine name.                                                                                                                                                                               |
| ORDINAL\_POSITION          | Ordinal position of the parameter, starting at 1. 0 for a function RETURNS clause.                                                                                                                 |
| PARAMETER\_DEFAULT         | Displays default values for stored routine parameters.                                                                                                                                             |
| PARAMETER\_MODE            | One of IN, OUT, INOUT or NULL for RETURNS.                                                                                                                                                         |
| PARAMETER\_NAME            | Name of the parameter, or NULL for RETURNS.                                                                                                                                                        |
| DATA\_TYPE                 | The column's [data type](/docs/server/reference/data-types.md).                                                                                                                                    |
| CHARACTER\_MAXIMUM\_LENGTH | Maximum length.                                                                                                                                                                                    |
| CHARACTER\_OCTET\_LENGTH   | Same as the CHARACTER\_MAXIMUM\_LENGTH except for multi-byte [character sets](/docs/server/reference/data-types/string-data-types/character-sets.md).                                              |
| NUMERIC\_PRECISION         | For numeric types, the precision (number of significant digits) for the column. NULL if not a numeric field.                                                                                       |
| NUMERIC\_SCALE             | For numeric types, the scale (significant digits to the right of the decimal point). NULL if not a numeric field.                                                                                  |
| DATETIME\_PRECISION        | Fractional-seconds precision, or NULL if not a [time data type](/docs/server/reference/data-types/date-and-time-data-types.md).                                                                    |
| CHARACTER\_SET\_NAME       | [Character set](/docs/server/reference/data-types/string-data-types/character-sets.md) if a non-binary [string data type](/docs/server/reference/data-types/string-data-types.md), otherwise NULL. |
| COLLATION\_NAME            | [Collation](/docs/server/reference/data-types/string-data-types/character-sets.md) if a non-binary [string data type](/docs/server/reference/data-types/string-data-types.md), otherwise NULL.     |
| DTD\_IDENTIFIER            | Description of the data type.                                                                                                                                                                      |
| ROUTINE\_TYPE              | PROCEDURE or FUNCTION.                                                                                                                                                                             |
| PARAMETER\_DEFAULT         | Default parameter value. From [MariaDB 12.2](/docs/release-notes/community-server/12.2/mariadb-12.2-changes-and-improvements.md).                                                                  |

Information from this table is similar to that found in the `param_list` column in the [mysql.proc](/docs/server/reference/system-tables/the-mysql-database-tables/mysql-proc-table.md) table, and the output of the [SHOW CREATE PROCEDURE](/docs/server/reference/sql-statements/administrative-sql-statements/show/show-create-procedure.md) and [SHOW CREATE FUNCTION](/docs/server/reference/sql-statements/administrative-sql-statements/show/show-create-function.md) statements.

To obtain information about the routine itself, you can query the [Information Schema ROUTINES table](/docs/server/reference/system-tables/information-schema/information-schema-tables/information-schema-routines-table.md).

## Example

```sql
SELECT * FROM information_schema.PARAMETERS
LIMIT 1 \G
********************** 1. row **********************
        SPECIFIC_CATALOG: def
         SPECIFIC_SCHEMA: accounts
           SPECIFIC_NAME: user_counts
        ORDINAL_POSITION: 1
          PARAMETER_MODE: IN
          PARAMETER_NAME: user_order
               DATA_TYPE: varchar
CHARACTER_MAXIMUM_LENGTH: 255
  CHARACTER_OCTET_LENGTH: 765
       NUMERIC_PRECISION: NULL
           NUMERIC_SCALE: NULL
      DATETIME_PRECISION: NULL
      CHARACTER_SET_NAME: utf8
          COLLATION_NAME: utf8_general_ci
          DTD_IDENTIFIER: varchar(255)
            ROUTINE_TYPE: PROCEDURE
       PARAMETER_DEFAULT: NULL
```

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