# RELEASE\_LOCK

## Syntax

```sql
RELEASE_LOCK(str)
```

## Description

Releases the lock named by the string `str` that was obtained with [GET\_LOCK()](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/sql-functions/secondary-functions/miscellaneous-functions/get_lock). Returns `1` if the lock was released, `0` if the lock was not established by this connection (in which case the lock is not released), and `NULL` if the named lock did not exist. The lock does not exist if it was never obtained by a call to `GET_LOCK()` or if it has previously been released.

`str` is case insensitive. If `str` is an empty string or `NULL`, `RELEASE_LOCK()` returns `NULL` and does nothing.

Statements using the `RELEASE_LOCK` function are not [safe for statement-based replication](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/ha-and-performance/standard-replication/unsafe-statements-for-statement-based-replication).

The [DO statement](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/sql-statements/stored-routine-statements/do) is convenient to use with `RELEASE_LOCK()`.

## Examples

Connection1:

```sql
SELECT GET_LOCK('lock1',10);
+----------------------+
| GET_LOCK('lock1',10) |
+----------------------+
|                    1 |
+----------------------+
```

Connection 2:

```sql
SELECT GET_LOCK('lock2',10);
+----------------------+
| GET_LOCK('lock2',10) |
+----------------------+
|                    1 |
+----------------------+
```

Connection 1:

```sql
SELECT RELEASE_LOCK('lock1'), RELEASE_LOCK('lock2'), RELEASE_LOCK('lock3');
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| RELEASE_LOCK('lock1') | RELEASE_LOCK('lock2') | RELEASE_LOCK('lock3') |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
|                     1 |                     0 |                  NULL |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
```

It is possible to hold the same lock recursively. This example is viewed using the [metadata\_lock\_info](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/plugins/other-plugins/metadata-lock-info-plugin) plugin:

```sql
SELECT GET_LOCK('lock3',10);
+----------------------+
| GET_LOCK('lock3',10) |
+----------------------+
|                    1 |
+----------------------+

SELECT GET_LOCK('lock3',10);
+----------------------+
| GET_LOCK('lock3',10) |
+----------------------+
|                    1 |
+----------------------+

SELECT * FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.METADATA_LOCK_INFO;
+-----------+---------------------+---------------+-----------+--------------+------------+
| THREAD_ID | LOCK_MODE           | LOCK_DURATION | LOCK_TYPE | TABLE_SCHEMA | TABLE_NAME |
+-----------+---------------------+---------------+-----------+--------------+------------+
|        46 | MDL_SHARED_NO_WRITE | NULL          | User lock | lock3        |            |
+-----------+---------------------+---------------+-----------+--------------+------------+

SELECT RELEASE_LOCK('lock3');
+-----------------------+
| RELEASE_LOCK('lock3') |
+-----------------------+
|                     1 |
+-----------------------+

SELECT * FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.METADATA_LOCK_INFO;
+-----------+---------------------+---------------+-----------+--------------+------------+
| THREAD_ID | LOCK_MODE           | LOCK_DURATION | LOCK_TYPE | TABLE_SCHEMA | TABLE_NAME |
+-----------+---------------------+---------------+-----------+--------------+------------+
|        46 | MDL_SHARED_NO_WRITE | NULL          | User lock | lock3        |            |
+-----------+---------------------+---------------+-----------+--------------+------------+

SELECT RELEASE_LOCK('lock3');
+-----------------------+
| RELEASE_LOCK('lock3') |
+-----------------------+
|                     1 |
+-----------------------+

SELECT * FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.METADATA_LOCK_INFO;
Empty set (0.000 sec)
```

## See Also

* [GET\_LOCK](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/sql-functions/secondary-functions/miscellaneous-functions/get_lock)
* [IS\_FREE\_LOCK](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/sql-functions/secondary-functions/miscellaneous-functions/is_free_lock)
* [IS\_USED\_LOCK](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/sql-functions/secondary-functions/miscellaneous-functions/is_used_lock)
* [RELEASE\_ALL\_LOCKS](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/sql-functions/secondary-functions/miscellaneous-functions/release_all_locks)

<sub>*This page is licensed: GPLv2, originally from*</sub> [<sub>*fill\_help\_tables.sql*</sub>](https://github.com/MariaDB/server/blob/main/scripts/fill_help_tables.sql)

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