MySQL in a Nutshell, 2nd Edition

Chapter 17. C API

This chapter covers the C API provided by MySQL. The first part provides a basic tutorial on how to connect to MySQL and how to query MySQL with C and the C API. Following the tutorial is an alphabetical listing of MySQL functions in the C API with explanations and, in most cases, examples. At the end of this chapter is a listing of special data types for the C API. For the examples in this chapter, I have used a database for a fictitious computer support business. The database contains one table with client work requests (workreq) and another with client contact information (clients).

Using C with MySQL

This section presents the basic tasks you need to use the C API.

Connecting to MySQL

When writing a C program to interact with MySQL, you first need to prepare variables that will store data necessary for a MySQL connection and query results, and then you need to establish a connection to MySQL. To do this easily, you need to include a couple of C header files (as shown in the code example): stdio.h for basic C functions and variables, and mysql.h for special MySQL functions and definitions. These two files come with C and MySQL, respectively; you shouldn’t have to download them from the Web if both were installed properly:

   #include <stdio.h>
   #include "/usr/include/mysql/mysql.h"
   int main(int argc, char *argv[  ])
   {
           MYSQL *mysql;
           MYSQL_RES *result;
           MYSQL_ROW row;

Because stdio.h is surrounded by < and > symbols, C is instructed to look for it in the default location ...