Navicat Connecting to MySQL Database: Time Zone Configuration Guide to Avoid Time Deviation Issues

# Navicat Connecting to MySQL Database: Time Zone Configuration Guide to Avoid Time Discrepancies

## 1. Overview of Navicat Connecting to MySQL Database

Navicat is a robust database management tool used to connect and manage various database systems, including MySQL. When connecting to a MySQL database, time zone configuration is crucial as it determines how timestamp data is interpreted and displayed. This chapter will provide an overview of the time zone configuration for Navicat connecting to MySQL databases, offering readers a fundamental understanding of this topic.

## 2. Theoretical Foundation of MySQL Time Zone Configuration

### 2.1 Concept and Principle of Time Zones

A **time zone** refers to the standard time in different areas of the Earth, which is determined by local longitude. To facilitate time management and coordination, the world is divided into different time zones, each with its own standard time, which has a time difference with Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

**UTC** is the international standard time based on the seconds of atomic clocks, unaffected by the Earth's rotation. UTC is an improved version of Universal Time (UT), eliminating errors in UT caused by the uneven rotation of the Earth.

### 2.2 Mechanism of MySQL Time Zone Configuration

MySQL uses time zones to store and interpret time values. MySQL provides two types of time zones:

- **System Time Zone:** Determined by the operating system or server configuration.
- **Session Time Zone:** Specified by the user or application when connecting to the database.

MySQL uses the session time zone to interpret time values sent by the client and converts them into UTC time stored in the database. When retrieving time values from the database, MySQL converts them from UTC time to the session time zone.

MySQL offers various methods to configure time zones:

- **MySQL Configuration ***
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SET TIMEZONE 'Asia/Shanghai';

**Logical Analysis:**

This code sets the session time zone to Shanghai time zone (UTC+8). This means that time values sent to MySQL by the client will be interpreted as times in the Shanghai time zone, and time values retrieved from the database will be converted to the Shanghai time zone.

**Parameter Description:**

- `TIMEZONE`: The name of the time zone to set.

## 3. Practical Time Zone Configuration When Connecting to MySQL Database with Navicat

### 3.1 Time Zone Configuration in Navicat Connection Settings

**Navicat Connection Settings Interface**

When connecting to a MySQL database in Navicat, you can configure the time zone in the connection settings interface.

**Time Zone Setting Options**

- **Default Time Zone:** Use the default time zone of the MySQL server.
- **Custom Time Zone:** Choose a custom time zone.
- **Use System Time Zone:** Use the operating system's time zone.

**Time Zone Selection**

When selecting a custom time zone, you can choose a t