I've been diving into the encryption functions of MySQL while reviewing the official documentation, specifically focusing on how AES encryption is implemented. I came across certain terms such as @key_str, @init_vector, and @crypt_str in the context of function parameters or examples.
Here's where my confusion arises: are these terms supposed to represent column names within a database schema or are they simply placeholders for values that one should replace when actually implementing the functions? This distinction is crucial since it affects how I structure my database tables and write my queries.
It might be helpful to understand that in many examples provided in programming documentation, placeholders like these are often used to illustrate how you might populate these fields with actual data from your environment. If someone could clarify this aspect with concrete details or point me towards a more detailed example within this framework, that would be incredibly helpful.
