28.7.6 C API Function Overview

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The following list summarizes the functions available in the C API. For greater detail, see the descriptions in Section 28.7.7, “C API Function Descriptions”.

my_init(): Initializes global variables and the thread handler in thread-safe programs.
mysql_affected_rows(): Returns the number of rows changed/deleted/inserted by the last UPDATE, DELETE, or INSERT query.
mysql_autocommit(): Toggles autocommit mode on/off.
mysql_change_user(): Changes the user and database on an open connection.
mysql_character_set_name(): Returns the default character set name for the current connection.
mysql_client_find_plugin(): Returns a pointer to a plugin.
mysql_client_register_plugin(): Registers a plugin.
mysql_close(): Closes a server connection.
mysql_commit(): Commits the transaction.
mysql_connect(): Connects to a MySQL server. This function is deprecated; use mysql_real_connect() instead.
mysql_create_db(): Creates a database. This function is deprecated; use the SQL statement CREATE DATABASE instead.
mysql_data_seek(): Seeks to an arbitrary row number in a query result set.
mysql_debug(): Does a DBUG_PUSH with the given string.
mysql_drop_db(): Drops a database. This function is deprecated; use the SQL statement DROP DATABASE instead.
mysql_dump_debug_info(): Causes the server to write debug information to the log.
mysql_eof(): Determines whether the last row of a result set has been read. This function is deprecated; use mysql_errno() or mysql_error() instead.
mysql_errno(): Returns the error number for the most recently invoked MySQL function.
mysql_error(): Returns the error message for the most recently invoked MySQL function.
mysql_escape_string(): Escapes special characters in a string for use in an SQL statement.
mysql_fetch_field(): Returns the type of the next table field.
mysql_fetch_field_direct(): Returns the type of a table field, given a field number.
mysql_fetch_fields(): Returns an array of all field structures.
mysql_fetch_lengths(): Returns the lengths of all columns in the current row.
mysql_fetch_row(): Fetches the next row from the result set.
mysql_field_count(): Returns the number of result columns for the most recent statement.
mysql_field_seek(): Puts the column cursor on a specified column.
mysql_field_tell(): Returns the position of the field cursor used for the last mysql_fetch_field().
mysql_free_result(): Frees memory used by a result set.
mysql_get_character_set_info(): Returns information about default character set.
mysql_get_client_info(): Returns client version information as a string.
mysql_get_client_version(): Returns client version information as an integer.
mysql_get_host_info(): Returns a string describing the connection.
mysql_get_option(): Returns the value of a mysql_options() option.
mysql_get_proto_info(): Returns the protocol version used by the connection.
mysql_get_server_info(): Returns the server version number.
mysql_get_server_version(): Returns the server version number as an integer.
mysql_get_ssl_cipher(): Returns the current SSL cipher.
mysql_hex_string(): Encodes a string in hexadecimal format.
mysql_info(): Returns information about the most recently executed query.
mysql_init(): Gets or initializes a MYSQL structure.
mysql_insert_id(): Returns the ID generated for an AUTO_INCREMENT column by the previous query.
mysql_kill(): Kills a given thread.
mysql_library_end(): Finalizes the MySQL C API library.
mysql_library_init(): Initializes the MySQL C API library.
mysql_list_dbs(): Returns database names matching a simple regular expression.
mysql_list_fields(): Returns field names matching a simple regular expression.
mysql_list_processes(): Returns a list of the current server threads.
mysql_list_tables(): Returns table names matching a simple regular expression.
mysql_load_plugin(): Loads a plugin.
mysql_load_plugin_v(): Loads a plugin.
mysql_more_results(): Checks whether any more results exist.
mysql_next_result(): Returns/initiates the next result in multiple-result executions.
mysql_num_fields(): Returns the number of columns in a result set.
mysql_num_rows(): Returns the number of rows in a result set.
mysql_options(): Sets connect options for mysql_real_connect().
mysql_options4(): Sets connect options for mysql_real_connect().
mysql_ping(): Checks whether the connection to the server is working, reconnecting as necessary.
mysql_plugin_options(): Sets a plugin option.
mysql_query(): Executes an SQL query specified as a null-terminated string.
mysql_real_connect(): Connects to a MySQL server.
mysql_real_escape_string(): Escapes special characters in a string for use in an SQL statement, taking into account the current character set of the connection.
mysql_real_escape_string_quote(): Escapes special characters in a string for use in an SQL statement, taking into account the current character set of the connection and the quoting context.
mysql_real_query(): Executes an SQL query specified as a counted string.
mysql_refresh(): Flushes or resets tables and caches.
mysql_reload(): Tells the server to reload the grant tables.
mysql_reset_connection(): Resets the connection to clear session state.
mysql_reset_server_public_key(): Clears a cached RSA public key from the client library.
mysql_result_metadata(): Whether a result set has metadata.
mysql_rollback(): Rolls back the transaction.
mysql_row_seek(): Seeks to a row offset in a result set, using value returned from mysql_row_tell().
mysql_row_tell(): Returns the row cursor position.
mysql_select_db(): Selects a database.
mysql_server_end(): Finalizes the MySQL C API library.
mysql_server_init(): Initializes the MySQL C API library.
mysql_session_track_get_first(): Gets the first part of session state-change information.
mysql_session_track_get_next(): Gets the next part of session state-change information.
mysql_set_character_set(): Sets the default character set for the current connection.
mysql_set_local_infile_default(): Sets the LOAD DATA LOCAL handler callbacks to their default values.
mysql_set_local_infile_handler(): Installs application-specific LOAD DATA LOCAL handler callbacks.
mysql_set_server_option(): Sets an option for the connection (like multi-statements).
mysql_sqlstate(): Returns the SQLSTATE error code for the last error.
mysql_shutdown(): Shuts down the database server.
mysql_ssl_set(): Prepares to establish an SSL connection to the server.
mysql_stat(): Returns the server status as a string.
mysql_store_result(): Retrieves a complete result set to the client.
mysql_thread_end(): Finalizes a thread handler.
mysql_thread_id(): Returns the current thread ID.
mysql_thread_init(): Initializes a thread handler.
mysql_thread_safe(): Returns 1 if the clients are compiled as thread-safe.
mysql_use_result(): Initiates a row-by-row result set retrieval.
mysql_warning_count(): Returns the warning count for the previous SQL statement.

Application programs should use this general outline for interacting with MySQL:

Initialize the MySQL client library by calling mysql_library_init().
Initialize a connection handler by calling mysql_init() and connect to the server by calling mysql_real_connect().
Issue SQL statements and process their results. (The following discussion provides more information about how to do this.)
Close the connection to the MySQL server by calling mysql_close().
End use of the MySQL client library by calling mysql_library_end().

The purpose of calling mysql_library_init() and mysql_library_end() is to provide proper initialization and finalization of the MySQL client library. For applications that are linked with the client library, they provide improved memory management. If you do not call mysql_library_end(), a block of memory remains allocated. (This does not increase the amount of memory used by the application, but some memory leak detectors will complain about it.)

In a nonmultithreaded environment, the call to mysql_library_init() may be omitted, because mysql_init() will invoke it automatically as necessary. However, mysql_library_init() is not thread-safe in a multithreaded environment, and thus neither is mysql_init(), which calls mysql_library_init(). You must either call mysql_library_init() prior to spawning any threads, or else use a mutex to protect the call, whether you invoke mysql_library_init() or indirectly through mysql_init(). This should be done prior to any other client library call.

To connect to the server, call mysql_init() to initialize a connection handler, then call mysql_real_connect() with that handler (along with other information such as the host name, user name, and password). Upon connection, mysql_real_connect() sets the reconnect flag (part of the MYSQL structure) to a value of 1 in versions of the API older than 5.0.3, or 0 in newer versions. A value of 1 for this flag indicates that if a statement cannot be performed because of a lost connection, to try reconnecting to the server before giving up. You can use the MYSQL_OPT_RECONNECT option to mysql_options() to control reconnection behavior. When you are done with the connection, call mysql_close() to terminate it. Do not use the handler after it has been closed.

While a connection is active, the client may send SQL statements to the server using mysql_query() or mysql_real_query(). The difference between the two is that mysql_query() expects the query to be specified as a null-terminated string whereas mysql_real_query() expects a counted string. If the string contains binary data (which may include null bytes), you must use mysql_real_query().

For each non-SELECT query (for example, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE), you can find out how many rows were changed (affected) by calling mysql_affected_rows().

For SELECT queries, you retrieve the selected rows as a result set. (Note that some statements are SELECT-like in that they return rows. These include SHOW, DESCRIBE, and EXPLAIN. Treat these statements the same way as SELECT statements.)

There are two ways for a client to process result sets. One way is to retrieve the entire result set all at once by calling mysql_store_result(). This function acquires from the server all the rows returned by the query and stores them in the client. The second way is for the client to initiate a row-by-row result set retrieval by calling mysql_use_result(). This function initializes the retrieval, but does not actually get any rows from the server.

In both cases, you access rows by calling mysql_fetch_row(). With mysql_store_result(), mysql_fetch_row() accesses rows that have previously been fetched from the server. With mysql_use_result(), mysql_fetch_row() actually retrieves the row from the server. Information about the size of the data in each row is available by calling mysql_fetch_lengths().

After you are done with a result set, call mysql_free_result() to free the memory used for it.

The two retrieval mechanisms are complementary. Choose the approach that is most appropriate for each client application. In practice, clients tend to use mysql_store_result() more commonly.

An advantage of mysql_store_result() is that because the rows have all been fetched to the client, you not only can access rows sequentially, you can move back and forth in the result set using mysql_data_seek() or mysql_row_seek() to change the current row position within the result set. You can also find out how many rows there are by calling mysql_num_rows(). On the other hand, the memory requirements for mysql_store_result() may be very high for large result sets and you are more likely to encounter out-of-memory conditions.

An advantage of mysql_use_result() is that the client requires less memory for the result set because it maintains only one row at a time (and because there is less allocation overhead, mysql_use_result() can be faster). Disadvantages are that you must process each row quickly to avoid tying up the server, you do not have random access to rows within the result set (you can only access rows sequentially), and the number of rows in the result set is unknown until you have retrieved them all. Furthermore, you must retrieve all the rows even if you determine in mid-retrieval that you've found the information you were looking for.

The API makes it possible for clients to respond appropriately to statements (retrieving rows only as necessary) without knowing whether the statement is a SELECT. You can do this by calling mysql_store_result() after each mysql_query() (or mysql_real_query()). If the result set call succeeds, the statement was a SELECT and you can read the rows. If the result set call fails, call mysql_field_count() to determine whether a result was actually to be expected. If mysql_field_count() returns zero, the statement returned no data (indicating that it was an INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, and so forth), and was not expected to return rows. If mysql_field_count() is nonzero, the statement should have returned rows, but did not. This indicates that the statement was a SELECT that failed. See the description for mysql_field_count() for an example of how this can be done.

Both mysql_store_result() and mysql_use_result() enable you to obtain information about the fields that make up the result set (the number of fields, their names and types, and so forth). You can access field information sequentially within the row by calling mysql_fetch_field() repeatedly, or by field number within the row by calling mysql_fetch_field_direct(). The current field cursor position may be changed by calling mysql_field_seek(). Setting the field cursor affects subsequent calls to mysql_fetch_field(). You can also get information for fields all at once by calling mysql_fetch_fields().

For detecting and reporting errors, MySQL provides access to error information by means of the mysql_errno() and mysql_error() functions. These return the error code or error message for the most recently invoked function that can succeed or fail, enabling you to determine when an error occurred and what it was.

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References

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