Download it in ASCII.

A database dump is not going to the same size as the database.

the database is a file or files that the database creates, in it's own format, to store the data.

A data dump is most certainly not that.

open the dump and read it. the first few lines describe a table, the next lines are composed of insert statements.

the sql dump file instructs mysql on how to create the table and insert the data, it is not an actual data file that the data base can use. It is nothing more than a file that the database would use to reconstruct from, but not to operate from.

Also remember that indices take space. A dump has no indices. Another thing to think about..... when you delete something from the database the database doesn't shrink. It does not give up that space. If you delete the equivalent of 100 megs of data out of the database it still doesn't shrink. Think about it, if you delete something that's in the middle of the table why would you want mysql to rewrite everything behind it in the table in order to regain that space?

That's what optimize does. Even if you do optimize your database the sql dump will nto be the same size as the actual mysql data table. They are apples and oranges.

Can you dump a table individually? Yes, read the documentation on mysql.com for the syntax.

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