Chapter 23. Connectors

Table of Contents

23.1. MySQL Connector/ODBC
23.1.1. Introduction to MyODBC
23.1.2. How to Install MyODBC
23.1.3. MyODBC Configuration
23.1.4. MyODBC Examples
23.1.5. MyODBC Reference
23.1.6. MyODBC Notes and Tips
23.1.7. MyODBC Support
23.2. Connector/NET
23.2.1. Connector/NET Versions
23.2.2. How to install Connector/NET
23.2.3. Connector/NET Examples
23.2.4. Connector/NET Reference
23.2.5. Connector/NET Notes and Tips
23.2.6. Connector/NET Support
23.3. MySQL Connector/J
23.3.1. Basic JDBC concepts
23.3.2. Installing Connector/J
23.3.3. JDBC Reference
23.3.4. Using Connector/J with J2EE and Other Java Frameworks
23.3.5. Diagnosing Connector/J Problems
23.3.6. MySQL Connector/J Change History
23.4. MySQL Connector/MXJ
23.4.1. Introduction
23.4.2. Supported Platforms
23.4.3. JUnit Test Requirements
23.4.4. Running the JUnit Tests
23.4.5. Running as part of the JDBC Driver
23.4.6. Running within a Java Object
23.4.7. The MysqldResource API
23.4.8. Running within a JMX Agent (custom)
23.4.9. Deployment in a standard JMX Agent environment (JBoss)
23.4.10. Installation
23.5. Connector/PHP

This chapter describes MySQL Connectors, drivers that provide connectivity to the MySQL server for client programs. There are currently five MySQL Connectors:

For information on connecting to a MySQL server using other languages and interfaces than those detailed above, including Perl, Python and PHP for other platforms and environments, please refer to the Chapter 22, APIs and Libraries chapter.

23.1. MySQL Connector/ODBC

The MySQL Connector/ODBC is the name for the family of MySQL ODBC drivers (also called MyODBC drivers) that provide access to a MySQL database using the industry standard Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) API. This reference covers Connector/ODBC 3.51, a version of the API that provides ODBC 3.5x compliant access to a MySQL database.

The manual for versions of MyODBC older than 3.51 can be located in the corresponding binary or source distribution.

For more information on the ODBC API standard and how to use it, refer to http://www.microsoft.com/data/.

The application development part of this reference assumes a good working knowledge of C, general DBMS knowledge, and finally, but not least, familiarity with MySQL. For more information about MySQL functionality and its syntax, refer to http://dev.mysql.com/doc/.

Typically, you need to install MyODBC only on Windows machines. For Unix and Mac OS X you can use the native MySQL network or named pipe to communicate with your MySQL database. You may need MyODBC for Unix or Mac OS X if you have an application that requires an ODBC interface to communicate with database.. Applications that require ODBC to communicate with MySQL include ColdFusion, Microsoft Office, and Filemaker Pro.

If you want to install the MyODBC connector on a Unix host, then you must also install an ODBC manager.

If you have questions that are not answered in this document, please send a mail message to .

23.1.1. Introduction to MyODBC

ODBC (Open Database Connectivity) provides a way for client programs to access a wide range of databases or data sources. ODBC is a standardized API that allows connections to SQL database servers. It was developed according to the specifications of the SQL Access Group and defines a set of function calls, error codes, and data types that can be used to develop database-independent applications. ODBC usually is used when database independence or simultaneous access to different data sources is required.

For more information about ODBC, refer to http://www.microsoft.com/data/.

23.1.1.1. MyODBC Versions

There are currently two version of MyODBC available:

  • MyODBC 5.0, currently in beta status, has been designed to extend the functionality of the MyODBC 3.51 driver and incorporate full support for the functionality in the MySQL 5.0 server release, including stored procedures and views. Applications using MyODBC 3.51 will be compatible with MyODBC 5.0, while being able to take advantage of the new features. Features and functionality of the MyODBC 5.0 driver are not currently included in this guide.

  • MyODBC 3.51 is the current release of the 32-bit ODBC driver, also known as the MySQL ODBC 3.51 driver. This version is enhanced compared to the older MyODBC 2.50 driver. It has support for ODBC 3.5x specification level 1 (complete core API + level 2 features) in order to continue to provide all functionality of ODBC for accessing MySQL.

  • MyODBC 2.50 is the previous version of the 32-bit ODBC driver from MySQL AB that is based on ODBC 2.50 specification level 0 (with level 1 and 2 features). Information about the MyODBC 2.50 driver is included in this guide for the purposes of comparison only.

Note: From this section onward, the primary focus of this guide is the MyODBC 3.51 driver. More information about the MyODBC 2.50 driver in the documentation included in the installation packages for that version. If there is a specific issue (error or known problem) that only affects the 2.50 version, it may be included here for reference.

23.1.1.2. General Information About ODBC and MyODBC

Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) is a widely accepted application-programming interface (API) for database access. It is based on the Call-Level Interface (CLI) specifications from X/Open and ISO/IEC for database APIs and uses Structured Query Language (SQL) as its database access language.

A survey of ODBC functions supported by MyODBC is given at Section 23.1.5.1, “MyODBC API Reference”. For general information about ODBC, see http://www.microsoft.com/data/.

23.1.1.2.1. MyODBC Architecture

The MyODBC architecture is based on five components, as shown in the following diagram:

MyODBC Architecture
  • Application:

    The Application uses the ODBC API to access the data from the MySQL server. The ODBC API in turn uses the communicates with the Driver Manager. The Application communicates with the Driver Manager using the standard ODBC calls. The Application does not care where the data is stored, how it is stored, or even how the system is configured to access the data. It needs to know only the Data Source Name (DSN).

    A number of tasks are common to all applications, no matter how they use ODBC. These tasks are:

    • Selecting the MySQL server and connecting to it

    • Submitting SQL statements for execution

    • Retrieving results (if any)

    • Processing errors

    • Committing or rolling back the transaction enclosing the SQL statement

    • Disconnecting from the MySQL server

    Because most data access work is done with SQL, the primary tasks for applications that use ODBC are submitting SQL statements and retrieving any results generated by those statements.

  • Driver manager:

    The Driver Manager is a library that manages communication between application and driver or drivers. It performs the following tasks:

    • Resolves Data Source Names (DSN). The DSN is a configuration string that identifies a given database driver, database, database host and optionally authentication information that enables an ODBC application to connect to a database using a standardized reference.

      Because the database connectivity information is identified by the DSN, any ODBC compliant application can connect to the data source using the same DSN reference. This eliminates the need to separately configure each application that needs access to a given database; instead you instruct the application to use a pre-configured DSN.

    • Loading and unloading of the driver required to access a specific database as defined within the DSN. For example, if you have configured a DSN that connects to a MySQL database then the driver manager will load the MyODBC driver to enable the ODBC API to communicate with the MySQL host.

    • Processes ODBC function calls or passes them to the driver for processing.

  • MyODBC Driver:

    The MyODBC driver is a library that implements the functions supported by the ODBC API. It processes ODBC function calls, submits SQL requests to MySQL server, and returns results back to the application. If necessary, the driver modifies an application's request so that the request conforms to syntax supported by MySQL.

  • DSN Configuration:

    The ODBC configuration file stores the driver and database information required to connect to the server. It is used by the Driver Manager to determine which driver to be loaded according to the definition in the DSN. The driver uses this to read connection parameters based on the DSN specified. For more information, Section 23.1.3, “MyODBC Configuration”.

  • MySQL Server:

    The MySQL database where the information is stored. The database is used as the source of the data (during queries) and the destination for data (during inserts and updates).

23.1.1.2.2. ODBC Driver Managers

An ODBC Driver Manager is a library that manages communication between the ODBC-aware application and any drivers. Its main functionality includes:

  • Resolving Data Source Names (DSN).

  • Driver loading and unloading.

  • Processing ODBC function calls or passing them to the driver.

Both Windows and Mac OS X include ODBC driver managers with the operating system. Most ODBC Driver Manager implementations also include an administration application that makes the configuration of DSN and drivers easier. Examples and information on these managers, including Unix ODBC driver managers are listed below:

  • Microsoft Windows ODBC Driver Manager (odbc32.dll), http://www.microsoft.com/data/.

  • Mac OS X includes ODBC Administrator, a GUI application that provides a simpler configuration mechanism for the Unix iODBC Driver Manager. You can configure DSN and driver information either through ODBC Administrator or through the iODBC configuration files. This also means that you can test ODBC Administrator configurations using the iodbctest command. http://www.apple.com.

  • unixODBC Driver Manager for Unix (libodbc.so). See http://www.unixodbc.org, for more information. The unixODBC Driver Manager includes the MyODBC driver 3.51 in the installation package, starting with version unixODBC 2.1.2.

  • iODBC ODBC Driver Manager for Unix (libiodbc.so), see http://www.iodbc.org, for more information.

23.1.2. How to Install MyODBC

You can install the MyODBC drivers using two different methods, a binary installation and a source installation. The binary installation is the easiest and most straightforward method of installation. Using the source installation methods should only be necessary on platforms where a binary installation package is not available, or in situations where you want to customize or modify the installation process or MyODBC drivers before installation.

23.1.2.1. Where to Get MyODBC

MySQL AB distributes all its products under the General Public License (GPL). You can get a copy of the latest version of MyODBC binaries and sources from the MySQL AB Web site http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/.

For more information about MyODBC, visit http://www.mysql.com/products/myodbc/.

For more information about licensing, visit http://www.mysql.com/company/legal/licensing/.

23.1.2.2. Supported Platforms

MyODBC can be used on all major platforms supported by MySQL. You can install it on:

  • Windows 95, 98, Me, NT, 2000, XP, and 2003

  • All Unix-like Operating Systems, including: AIX, Amiga, BSDI, DEC, FreeBSD, HP-UX 10/11, Linux, NetBSD, OpenBSD, OS/2, SGI Irix, Solaris, SunOS, SCO OpenServer, SCO UnixWare, Tru64 Unix

  • Mac OS X and Mac OS X Server

If a binary distribution is not available for a particular platform, see Section 23.1.2.4, “Installing MyODBC from a source distribution”, to build the driver from the original source code. You can contribute the binaries you create to MySQL by sending a mail message to , so that it becomes available for other users.

23.1.2.3. Installing MyODBC from a binary distribution

Using a binary distribution offers the most straightforward method for installing MyODBC. If you want more control over the driver, the installation location and or to customize elements of the driver you will need to build and install from the source. See the Section 23.1.2.4, “Installing MyODBC from a source distribution”.

23.1.2.3.1. Installing MyODBC from a Binary Distribution on Windows

Before installing the MyODBC drivers on Windows you should ensure that your Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC) are up to date. You can obtain the latest version from the Microsoft Data Access and Storage website.

There are three available distribution types to use when installing for Windows. The contents in each case are identical, it is only the installation method which is different.

23.1.2.3.1.1. Installing the Windows MyODBC Driver using an installer

The installer packages offer a very simple method for installing the MyODBC drivers. If you have downloaded the zipped installer then you must extract the installer application. The basic installation process is identical for both installers.

You should follow these steps to complete the installation:

  1. Double click on the standalone installer that you extracted, or the MSI file you downloaded.

  2. The MySQL Connector/ODBC 3.51 - Setup Wizard will start. Click the Next button to begin the installation process.

    MyODBC Windows Installer -
                  Welcome
  3. You will need to choose the installation type. The Typical installation provides the standard files you will need to connect to a MySQL database using ODBC. The Complete option installs all the available files, including debug and utility components. It is recommended you choose one of these two options to complete the installation. If choose one of these methods, click Next and then proceed to step 5.

    You may also choose a Custom installation, which enables you to select the individual components that you want to install. You have chosen this method, click Next and then proceed to step 4.

    MyODBC Windows Installer - Choosing
                  a Setup type welcome
  4. If you have chosen a custom installation, use the popups to select which components to install and then click Next to install the necessary files.

    MyODBC Windows Installer - Custom
                  Installation welcome
  5. Once the files have copied to your machine, the installation is complete. Click Finish to exit the installer.

    MyODBC Windows Installer -
                  Completion welcome

Now the installation is complete, you can continue to configure your ODBC connections using Section 23.1.3, “MyODBC Configuration”.

23.1.2.3.1.2. Installing the Windows MyODBC Driver using the Zipped DLL package

If you have downloaded the Zipped DLL package then you must install the individual files required for MyODBC operation manually. Once you have unzipped the installation files, you can either perform this operation by hand, executing each statement individually, or you can use the included Batch file to perform an installation to the default locations.

To install using the Batch file:

  1. Unzip the MyODBC Zipped DLL package.

  2. Open a Command Prompt.

  3. Change to the directory created when you unzipped the MyODBC Zipped DLL package.

  4. Run Install.bat:

    C:\> Install.bat

    This will copy the necessary files into the default location, and then register the MyODBC driver with the Windows ODBC manager.

If you want to copy the files to an alternative location - for example, to run or test different versions of the MyODBC driver on the same machine, then you must copy the files by hand. It is however not recommended to install these files in a non-standard location. To copy the files by hand to the default installation location use the following steps:

  1. Unzip the MyODBC Zipped DLL package.

  2. Open a Command Prompt.

  3. Change to the directory created when you unzipped the MyODBC Zipped DLL package.

  4. Copy the library files to a suitable directory. The default is to copy them into the default Windows system directory \Windows\System32:

    C:\> copy lib\myodbc3S.dll \Windows\System32
    C:\> copy lib\myodbc3S.lib \Windows\System32
    C:\> copy lib\myodbc3.dll \Windows\System32
    C:\> copy lib\myodbc3.lib \Windows\System32
  5. Copy the MyODBC tools. These must be placed into a directory that is in the system PATH. The default is to install these into the Windows system directory \Windows\System32:

    C:\> copy bin\myodbc3i.exe \Windows\System32
    C:\> copy bin\myodbc3m.exe \Windows\System32
    C:\> copy bin\myodbc3c.exe \Windows\System32
  6. Optionally copy the help files. For these files to be accessible through the help system, they must be installed in the Windows system directory:

    C:\> copy doc\*.hlp \Windows\System32
  7. Finally, you must register the MyODBC driver with the ODBC manager:

    C:\> myodbc3i -a -d -t"MySQL ODBC 3.51 Driver;\
      DRIVER=myodbc3.dll;SETUP=myodbc3S.dll"

    You must change the references to the DLL files and command location in the above statement if you have not installed these files into the default location.

23.1.2.3.1.3. Handling Installation Errors

On Windows, you may get the following error when trying to install the older MyODBC 2.50 driver:

An error occurred while copying C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MFC30.DLL. 
Restart Windows and try installing again (before running any
applications which use ODBC)

The reason for the error is that another application is currently using the ODBC system. Windows may not allow you to complete the installation. In most cases, you can continue by pressing Ignore to copy the rest of the MyODBC files and the final installation should still work. If it doesn't, the solution is to re-boot your computer in “safe mode.” Choose safe mode by pressing F8 just before your machine starts Windows during re-booting, install the MyODBC drivers, and re-boot to normal mode.

23.1.2.3.2. Installing MyODBC from a Binary Distribution on Unix

There are two methods available for installing MyODBC on Unix from a binary distribution. For most Unix environments you will need to use the tarball distribution. For Linux systems, there is also an RPM distribution available.

23.1.2.3.2.1. Installing MyODBC from a Binary Tarball Distribution

To install the driver from a tarball distribution (.tar.gz file), download the latest version of the driver for your operating system and follow these steps that demonstrate the process using the Linux version of the tarball:

shell> su root
shell> gunzip MyODBC-3.51.11-i686-pc-linux.tar.gz
shell> tar xvf MyODBC-3.51.11-i686-pc-linux.tar
shell> cd MyODBC-3.51.11-i686-pc-linux

Read the installation instructions in the INSTALL-BINARY file and execute these commands.

shell> cp libmyodbc* /usr/local/lib
shell> cp odbc.ini /usr/local/etc
shell> export ODBCINI=/usr/local/etc/odbc.ini

Then proceed on to Section 23.1.3.4, “Configuring a MyODBC DSN on Unix”, to configure the DSN for MyODBC. For more information, refer to the INSTALL-BINARY file that comes with your distribution.

23.1.2.3.2.2. Installing MyODBC from an RPM Distribution

To install or upgrade MyODBC from an RPM distribution on Linux, simply download the RPM distribution of the latest version of MyODBC and follow the instructions below. Use su root to become root, then install the RPM file.

If you are installing for the first time:

shell> su root
 shell> rpm -ivh MyODBC-3.51.12.i386.rpm

If the driver exists, upgrade it like this:

shell> su root
shell> rpm -Uvh MyODBC-3.51.12.i386.rpm

If there is any dependency error for MySQL client library, libmysqlclient, simply ignore it by supplying the --nodeps option, and then make sure the MySQL client shared library is in the path or set through LD_LIBRARY_PATH.

This installs the driver libraries and related documents to /usr/local/lib and /usr/share/doc/MyODBC, respectively. Proceed onto Section 23.1.3.4, “Configuring a MyODBC DSN on Unix”.

To uninstall the driver, become root and execute an rpm command:

shell> su root
shell> rpm -e MyODBC
23.1.2.3.3. Installing MyODBC on Mac OS X

Mac OS X is based on the FreeBSD operating system, and you can normally use the MySQL network port for connecting to MySQL servers on other hosts. Installing the MyODBC driver enables you to connect to MySQL databases on any platform through the ODBC interface. You should only need to install the MyODBC driver when your application requires an ODBC interface. Applications that require or can use ODBC (and therefore the MyODBC driver) include ColdFusion, Filemaker Pro, 4th Dimension and many other applications.

Mac OS X includes its own ODBC manager, based on the iODBC manager. Mac OS X includes an administration tool that provides easier administration of ODBC drivers and configuration, updating the underlying iODBC configuration files.

23.1.2.3.3.1. Installing the MyODBC Driver

You can install MyODBC on a Mac OS X or Mac OS X Server computer by using the binary distribution. The package is available as a compressed disk image (.dmg) file. To install MyODBC on your computer using this method, follow these steps:

  1. Download the file to your computer and double-click on the downloaded image file.

  2. Within the disk image you will find an installer package (with the .pkg extension). Double click on this file to start the Mac OS X installer.

  3. You will be presented with the installer welcome message. Click the Continue button to begin the installation process.

    MyODBC Mac OS X Installer -
                  Installer welcome
  4. Please take the time to read the Important Information as it contains guidance on how to complete the installation process. Note that if you want to test a connection to a MySQL database, you will need location of your MySQL server, and a user and password to use to create a suitable DSN to test your installation. Testing the connection is not required to complete the installation. Once you have read the notice and collected the necessary information, click Continue.

    MyODBC Mac OS X Installer -
                  Important Information
  5. MyODBC drivers are made available under the GNU General Public License. Please read the license if you are not familiar with it before continuing installation. Click Continue to approve the license (you will be asked to confirm that decision) and continue the installation.

    MyODBC Mac OS X Installer -
                  License
  6. Choose a location to install the MyODBC drivers and the ODBC Administrator application. You must install the files onto a drive with an operating system and you may be limited in the choices available. Select the drive you want to use, and then click Continue.

    MyODBC Mac OS X Installer - Choosing
                  a destination
  7. The installer will automatically select the files that need to be installed on your machine. Click Install to continue. The installer will copy the necessary files to your machine. A progress bar will be shown indicating the installation progress.

    MyODBC Mac OS X Installer -
                  Installation type
  8. When installation has been completed you will get a window like the one shown below. Click Close to close and quit the installer.

    MyODBC Mac OS X Installer -
                  Installation complete

23.1.2.4. Installing MyODBC from a source distribution

Installing MyODBC from a source distribution gives you greater flexibility in the contents and installation location of the MyODBC components. It also enables you to build and install MyODBC on platforms where a pre-compiled binary is not available.

MyODBC sources are available either as a downloadable package, or through the revision control system used by the MyODBC developers.

23.1.2.4.1. Installing MyODBC from a Source Distribution on Windows

You should only need to install MyODBC from source on Windows if you want to change or modify the source or installation. If you are unsure whether to install from source, please use the binary installation detailed in Section 23.1.2.3.1, “Installing MyODBC from a Binary Distribution on Windows”.

Installing MyODBC from source on Windows requires a number of different tools and packages:

  • MDAC, Microsoft Data Access SDK from http://www.microsoft.com/data/.

  • Suitable C compiler, such as Microsoft Visual C++ or the C compiler included with Microsoft Visual Studio.

  • Compatible make tool. Microsoft's nmake is used in the examples in this section.

  • MySQL client libraries and include files from MySQL 4.0.0 or higher. (Preferably MySQL 4.0.16 or higher). This is required because MyODBC uses new calls and structures that exist only starting from this version of the library. To get the client libraries and include files, visit http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/.

23.1.2.4.1.1. Building MyODBC 3.51

MyODBC source distributions include Makefiles that require the nmake or other make utility. In the distribution, you can find Makefile for building the release version and Makefile_debug for building debugging versions of the driver libraries and DLLs.

To build the driver, use this procedure:

  1. Download and extract the sources to a folder, then change directory into that folder. The following command assumes the folder is named myodbc3-src:

    C:\> cd myodbc3-src
    
  2. Edit Makefile to specify the correct path for the MySQL client libraries and header files. Then use the following commands to build and install the release version:

    C:\> nmake -f Makefile
    C:\> nmake -f Makefile install
    

    nmake -f Makefile builds the release version of the driver and places the binaries in subdirectory called Release.

    nmake -f Makefile install installs (copies) the driver DLLs and libraries (myodbc3.dll, myodbc3.lib) to your system directory.

  3. To build the debug version, use Makefile_Debug rather than Makefile, as shown below:

    C:\> nmake -f Makefile_debug
    C:\> nmake -f Makefile_debug install
    
  4. You can clean and rebuild the driver by using:

    C:\> nmake -f Makefile clean
    C:\> nmake -f Makefile install
    

Note:

  • Make sure to specify the correct MySQL client libraries and header files path in the Makefiles (set the MYSQL_LIB_PATH and MYSQL_INCLUDE_PATH variables). The default header file path is assumed to be C:\mysql\include. The default library path is assumed to be C:\mysql\lib\opt for release DLLs and C:\mysql\lib\debug for debug versions.

  • For the complete usage of nmake, visit http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dv_vcce4/html/evgrfRunningNMAKE.asp.

  • If you are using the Subversion tree for compiling, all Windows-specific Makefiles are named as Win_Makefile*.

23.1.2.4.1.2. Testing

After the driver libraries are copied/installed to the system directory, you can test whether the libraries are properly built by using the samples provided in the samples subdirectory:

C:\> cd samples
C:\> nmake -f Makefile all
23.1.2.4.1.3. Building MyODBC 2.50

The MyODBC 2.50 source distribution includes VC workspace files. You can build the driver using these files (.dsp and .dsw) directly by loading them from Microsoft Visual Studio 6.0 or higher.

23.1.2.4.2. Installing MyODBC from a Source Distribution on Unix

You need the following tools to build MySQL from source on Unix:

  • A working ANSI C++ compiler. gcc 2.95.2 or later, egcs 1.0.2 or later or egcs 2.91.66, SGI C++, and SunPro C++ are some of the compilers that are known to work.

  • A good make program. GNU make is always recommended and is sometimes required.

  • MySQL client libraries and include files from MySQL 4.0.0 or higher. (Preferably MySQL 4.0.16 or higher). This is required because MyODBC uses new calls and structures that exist only starting from this version of the library. To get the client libraries and include files, visit http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/.

    If you have built your own MySQL server and/or client libraries from source then you must have used the --enable-thread-safe-client option to configure when the libraries were built.

    You should also ensure that the libmysqlclient library were built and installed as a shared library.

  • A compatible ODBC manager must be installed. MyODBC is known to work with the iODBC and unixODBC managers. See Section 23.1.1.2.2, “ODBC Driver Managers”, for more information.

  • If you are using a character set that isn't compiled into the MySQL client library then you need to install the MySQL character definitions from the charsets directory into SHAREDIR (by default, /usr/local/mysql/share/mysql/charsets). These should be in place if you have installed the MySQL server on the same machine. See Chapter 10, Character Set Support, for more information on character set support.

Once you have all the required files, unpack the source files to a separate directory, you then have to run configure and build the library using make.

23.1.2.4.2.1. Typical configure Options

The configure script gives you a great deal of control over how you configure your MyODBC build. Typically you do this using options on the configure command line. You can also affect configure using certain environment variables. For a list of options and environment variables supported by configure, run this command:

shell> ./configure --help

Some of the more commonly used configure options are described here:

  1. To compile MyODBC, you need to supply the MySQL client include and library files path using the --with-mysql-path=DIR option, where DIR is the directory where MySQL is installed.

    MySQL compile options can be determined by running DIR/bin/mysql_config.

  2. Supply the standard header and library files path for your ODBC Driver Manager (iODBC or unixODBC).

    • If you are using iODBC and iODBC is not installed in its default location (/usr/local), you might have to use the --with-iodbc=DIR option, where DIR is the directory where iODBC is installed.

      If the iODBC headers do not reside in DIR/include, you can use the --with-iodbc-includes=INCDIR option to specify their location.

      The applies to libraries. If they are not in DIR/lib, you can use the --with-iodbc-libs=LIBDIR option.

    • If you are using unixODBC, use the --with-unixODBC=DIR option (case sensitive) to make configure look for unixODBC instead of iODBC by default, DIR is the directory where unixODBC is installed.

      If the unixODBC headers and libraries aren't located in DIR/include and DIR/lib, use the --with-unixODBC-includes=INCDIR and --with-unixODBC-libs=LIBDIR options.

  3. You might want to specify an installation prefix other than /usr/local. For example, to install the MyODBC drivers in /usr/local/odbc/lib, use the --prefix=/usr/local/odbc option.

The final configuration command looks something like this:

shell> ./configure --prefix=/usr/local \
         --with-iodbc=/usr/local \
         --with-mysql-path=/usr/local/mysql
23.1.2.4.2.2. Additional configure Options

There are a number of other options that you need, or want, to set when configuring the MyODBC driver before it is built.

  • To link the driver with MySQL thread safe client libraries libmysqlclient_r.so or libmysqlclient_r.a, you must specify the following configure option:

    --enable-thread-safe
    

    and can be disabled (default) using

    --disable-thread-safe
    

    This option enables the building of the driver thread-safe library libmyodbc3_r.so from by linking with MySQL thread-safe client library libmysqlclient_r.so (The extensions are OS dependent).

    If the compilation with the thread-safe option fails, it may be because the correct thread-libraries on the system could not be located. You should set the value of LIBS to point to the correct thread library for your system.

    LIBS="-lpthread" ./configure ..
    
  • You can enable or disable the shared and static versions of MyODBC using these options:

    --enable-shared[=yes/no]
    --disable-shared
    --enable-static[=yes/no]
    --disable-static
    
  • By default, all the binary distributions are built as non-debugging versions (configured with --without-debug).

    To enable debugging information, build the driver from source distribution and use the --with-debug option when you run configure.

  • This option is available only for source trees that have been obtained from the Subversion repository. This option does not apply to the packaged source distributions.

    By default, the driver is built with the --without-docs option. If you would like the documentation to be built, then execute configure with:

    --with-docs
    
23.1.2.4.2.3. Building and Compilation

To build the driver libraries, you have to just execute make.

shell> make

If any errors occur, correct them and continue the build process. If you aren't able to build, then send a detailed email to for further assistance.

23.1.2.4.2.4. Building Shared Libraries

On most platforms, MySQL does not build or support .so (shared) client libraries by default. This is based on our experience of problems when building shared libraries.

In cases like this, you have to download the MySQL distribution and configure it with these options:

--without-server --enable-shared

To build shared driver libraries, you must specify the --enable-shared option for configure. By default, configure does not enable this option.

If you have configured with the --disable-shared option, you can build the .so file from the static libraries using the following commands:

shell> cd MyODBC-3.51.01
shell> make
shell> cd driver
shell> CC=/usr/bin/gcc \
          $CC -bundle -flat_namespace -undefined error \
          -o .libs/libmyodbc3-3.51.01.so \
          catalog.o connect.o cursor.o dll.o error.o execute.o \
          handle.o info.o misc.o myodbc3.o options.o prepare.o \
          results.o transact.o utility.o \
          -L/usr/local/mysql/lib/mysql/ \
          -L/usr/local/iodbc/lib/ \
          -lz -lc -lmysqlclient -liodbcinst

Make sure to change -liodbcinst to -lodbcinst if you are using unixODBC instead of iODBC, and configure the library paths accordingly.

This builds and places the libmyodbc3-3.51.01.so file in the .libs directory. Copy this file to the MyODBC library installation directory (/usr/local/lib (or the lib directory under the installation directory that you supplied with the --prefix).

shell> cd .libs
shell> cp libmyodbc3-3.51.01.so /usr/local/lib
shell> cd /usr/local/lib
shell> ln -s libmyodbc3-3.51.01.so libmyodbc3.so

To build the thread-safe driver library:

shell> CC=/usr/bin/gcc \
          $CC -bundle -flat_namespace -undefined error
          -o .libs/libmyodbc3_r-3.51.01.so
          catalog.o connect.o cursor.o dll.o error.o execute.o
          handle.o info.o misc.o myodbc3.o options.o prepare.o
          results.o transact.o utility.o
          -L/usr/local/mysql/lib/mysql/
          -L/usr/local/iodbc/lib/
          -lz -lc -lmysqlclient_r -liodbcinst
23.1.2.4.2.5. Installing Driver Libraries

To install the driver libraries, execute the following command:

shell> make install

That command installs one of the following sets of libraries:

For MyODBC 3.51:

  • libmyodbc3.so

  • libmyodbc3-3.51.01.so, where 3.51.01 is the version of the driver

  • libmyodbc3.a

For thread-safe MyODBC 3.51:

  • libmyodbc3_r.so

  • libmyodbc3-3_r.51.01.so

  • libmyodbc3_r.a

For MyODBC 2.5.0:

  • libmyodbc.so

  • libmyodbc-2.50.39.so, where 2.50.39 is the version of the driver

  • libmyodbc.a

For more information on build process, refer to the INSTALL file that comes with the source distribution. Note that if you are trying to use the make from Sun, you may end up with errors. On the other hand, GNU gmake should work fine on all platforms.

23.1.2.4.2.6. Testing MyODBC on Unix

To run the basic samples provided in the distribution with the libraries that you built, use the following command:

shell> make test

Before running the tests, create the DSN 'myodbc3' in odbc.ini and set the environment variable ODBCINI to the correct odbc.ini file; and MySQL server is running. You can find a sample odbc.ini with the driver distribution.

You can even modify the samples/run-samples script to pass the desired DSN, UID, and PASSWORD values as the command-line arguments to each sample.

23.1.2.4.2.7. Building MyODBC from Source on Mac OS X

To build the driver on Mac OS X (Darwin), make use of the following configure example:

shell> ./configure --prefix=/usr/local
          --with-unixODBC=/usr/local
          --with-mysql-path=/usr/local/mysql
          --disable-shared
          --enable-gui=no
          --host=powerpc-apple

The command assumes that the unixODBC and MySQL are installed in the default locations. If not, configure accordingly.

On Mac OS X, --enable-shared builds .dylib files by default. You can build .so files like this:

shell> make
shell> cd driver
shell> CC=/usr/bin/gcc \
          $CC -bundle -flat_namespace -undefined error
          -o .libs/libmyodbc3-3.51.01.so *.o
          -L/usr/local/mysql/lib/
          -L/usr/local/iodbc/lib
          -liodbcinst -lmysqlclient -lz -lc

To build the thread-safe driver library:

shell> CC=/usr/bin/gcc \
          $CC -bundle -flat_namespace -undefined error
          -o .libs/libmyodbc3-3.51.01.so *.o
          -L/usr/local/mysql/lib/
          -L/usr/local/iodbc/lib
          -liodbcinst -lmysqlclienti_r -lz -lc -lpthread

Make sure to change the -liodbcinst to -lodbcinst in case of using unixODBC instead of iODBC and configure the libraries path accordingly.

In Apple's version of GCC, both cc and gcc are actually symbolic links to gcc3.

Copy this library to the $prefix/lib directory and symlink to libmyodbc3.so.

You can cross-check the output shared-library properties using this command:

shell> otool -LD .libs/libmyodbc3-3.51.01.so
23.1.2.4.2.8. Building MyODBC from Source on HP-UX

To build the driver on HP-UX 10.x or 11.x, make use of the following configure example:

If using cc:

shell> CC="cc" \
          CFLAGS="+z" \
          LDFLAGS="-Wl,+b:-Wl,+s" \
          ./configure --prefix=/usr/local
          --with-unixodbc=/usr/local
          --with-mysql-path=/usr/local/mysql/lib/mysql
          --enable-shared
          --enable-thread-safe

If using gcc:

shell> CC="gcc" \
          LDFLAGS="-Wl,+b:-Wl,+s" \
          ./configure --prefix=/usr/local
          --with-unixodbc=/usr/local
          --with-mysql-path=/usr/local/mysql
          --enable-shared
          --enable-thread-safe

Once the driver is built, cross-check its attributes using chatr .libs/libmyodbc3.sl to determine whether you need to have set the MySQL client library path using the SHLIB_PATH environment variable. For static versions, ignore all shared-library options and run configure with the --disable-shared option.

23.1.2.4.2.9. Building MyODBC from Source on AIX

To build the driver on AIX, make use of the following configure example:

shell> ./configure --prefix=/usr/local
          --with-unixodbc=/usr/local
          --with-mysql-path=/usr/local/mysql
          --disable-shared
          --enable-thread-safe

NOTE: For more information about how to build and set up the static and shared libraries across the different platforms refer to ' Using static and shared libraries across platforms'.

23.1.2.4.3. Installing MyODBC from the Development Source Tree

Caution: You should read this section only if you are interested in helping us test our new code. If you just want to get MySQL Connector/ODBC up and running on your system, you should use a standard release distribution.

To be able to access the MyODBC source tree, you must have Subversion installed. Subversion is freely available from http://subversion.tigris.org/.

To build from the source trees, you need the following tools:

  • autoconf 2.52 (or newer)

  • automake 1.4 (or newer)

  • libtool 1.4 (or newer)

  • m4

The most recent development source tree is available from our public Subversion trees at http://dev.mysql.com/tech-resources/sources.html.

To checkout out the Connector/ODBC sources, change to the directory where you want the copy of the MyODBC tree to be stored, then use the following command:

shell> svn co http://svn.mysql.com/svnpublic/connector-odbc3

You should now have a copy of the entire MyODBC source tree in the directory connector-odbc3. To build from this source tree on Unix or Linux follow these steps:

shell> cd connector-odbc3
shell> aclocal
shell> autoheader
shell> autoconf
shell> automake;
shell> ./configure  # Add your favorite options here
shell> make

For more information on how to build, refer to the INSTALL file located in the same directory. For more information on options to configure, see Section 23.1.2.4.2.1, “Typical configure Options”

When the build is done, run make install to install the MyODBC 3.51 driver on your system.

If you have gotten to the make stage and the distribution does not compile, please report it to .

On Windows, make use of Windows Makefiles WIN-Makefile and WIN-Makefile_debug in building the driver. For more information, see Section 23.1.2.4.1, “Installing MyODBC from a Source Distribution on Windows”.

After the initial checkout operation to get the source tree, you should run svn update periodically update your source according to the latest version.

23.1.3. MyODBC Configuration

Before you connect to a MySQL database using the MyODBC driver you must configure an ODBC Data Source Name. The DSN associates the various configuration parameters required to communicate with a database to a specific name. You use the DSN in an application to communicate with the database, rather than specifying individual parameters within the application itself. DSN information can be user specific, system specific, or provided in a special file. ODBC data source names are configured in different ways, depending on your platform and ODBC driver.

23.1.3.1. Data Source Names

A Data Source Name associates the configuration parameters for communicating with a specific database. Generally a DSN consists of the following parameters:

  • Name
  • Hostname
  • Database Name
  • Login
  • Password

In addition, different ODBC drivers, including MyODBC, may accept additional driver-specific options and parameters.

There are three types of DSN:

  • A System DSN is a global DSN definition that is available to any user and application on a particular system. A System DSN can normally only be configured by a systems administrator, or by a user who has specific permissions that let them create System DSNs.

  • A User DSN is specific to an individual user, and can be used to store database connectivity information that the user regularly uses.

  • A File DSN uses a simple file to define the DSN configuration. File DSNs can be shared between users and machines and are therefore more practical when installing or deploying DSN information as part of an application across many machines.

DSN information is stored in different locations depending on your platform and environment.

23.1.3.2. Configuring a MyODBC DSN on Windows

The ODBC Data Source Administrator within Windows enables you to create DSNs, check driver installation and configure ODBC systems such as tracing (used for debugging) and connection pooling.

Different editions and versions of Windows store the ODBC Data Source Administrator in different locations depending on the version of Windows that you are using.

To open the ODBC Data Source Administrator in Windows Server 2003:

  1. On the Start menu, choose Administrative Tools, and then click Data Sources (ODBC).

To open the ODBC Data Source Administrator in Windows 2000 Server or Windows 2000 Professional:

  1. On the Start menu, choose Settings, and then click Control Panel.

  2. In Control Panel, click Administrative Tools.

  3. In Administrative Tools, click Data Sources (ODBC).

To open the ODBC Data Source Administrator on Windows XP:

  1. On the Start menu, click Control Panel.

  2. In the Control Panel when in Category View click Performance and Maintenance and then click Administrative Tools.. If you are viewing the Control Panel in Classic View, click Administrative Tools.

  3. In Administrative Tools, click Data Sources (ODBC).

Irrespective of your Windows version, you should be presented the ODBC Data Source Administrator window:

ODBC Data Source
          Administrator Dialog

Within Windows XP, you can add the Administrative Tools folder to your Start menu to make it easier to locate the ODBC Data Source Administrator. To do this:

  1. Right click on the Start menu.

  2. Select Properties.

  3. Click Customize....

  4. Select the Advanced tab.

  5. Within Start menu items, within the System Administrative Tools section, select Display on the All Programs menu.

Within both Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP you may want to permanently add the ODBC Data Source Administrator to your Start menu. To do this, locate the Data Sources (ODBC) icon using the methods shown, then right-click on the icon and then choose Pin to Start Menu.

23.1.3.2.1. Adding a MyODBC DSN on Windows

To add and configure a new MyODBC data source on Windows, use the ODBC Data Source Administrator:

  1. Open the ODBC Data Source Administrator.

  2. To create a System DSN (which will be available to all users) , select the System DSN tab. To create a User DSN, which will be unique only to the current user, click the Add.. button.

  3. You will need to select the ODBC driver for this DSN.

    MySQL ODBC Driver
                Selection Dialog

    Select MySQL ODBC 3.51 Driver, then click Finish.

  4. You now need to configure the specific fields for the DSN you are creating through the Add Data Source Name dialog.

    Add Data Source
                Name Dialog

    In the Data Source Name box, enter the name of the data source you want to access. It can be any valid name that you choose.

  5. In the Description box, enter some text to help identify the connection.

  6. In the Server field, enter the name of the MySQL server host that you want to access. By default, it is localhost.

  7. In the User field, enter the user name to use for this connection.

  8. In the Password field, enter the corresponding password for this connection.

  9. The Database popup should automatically populate with the list of databases that the user has permissions to access.

  10. Click OK to save the DSN.

A completed DSN configuration may look like this:

SampleMySQL ODBC DSN
            Configuration Dialog
23.1.3.2.2. Checking MyODBC DSN Configuration on Windows

You can verify the connection using the parameters you have entered by clicking the Test button. If the connection could be made successfully, you will be notified with a Success; connection was made! dialog.

If the connection failed, you can obtain more information on the test and why it may have failed by clicking the Diagnostics... button to show additional error messages.

23.1.3.2.3. MyODBC DSN Configuration Options

You can configure a number of options for a specific DSN by using either the Connect Options or Advanced tabs in the DSN configuration dialog.

The Connection Options dialog can be seen below.

MyODBC Connect Options Dialog

The three options you can configure are:

  • Port sets the TCP/IP port number to use when communicating with MySQL. Communication with MySQL uses port 3306 by default. If your server is configured to use a different TCP/IP port, you must specify that port number here.

  • Socket sets the name or location of a specific socket or Windows pipe to use when communicating with MySQL.

  • Initial Statement defines an SQL statement that will be executed when the connection to MySQL is opened. You can use this to set MySQL options for your connection, such as setting the default character set or database to use during your connection.

The Advanced tab enables you to configure MyODBC connection parameters. Refer to Section 23.1.3.5, “MyODBC Connection Parameters”, for information about the meaning of these options.

MyODBC Connection Advanced Dialog
23.1.3.2.4. Errors and Debugging

This section answers MyODBC connection-related questions.

  • While configuring a MyODBC DSN, a Could Not Load Translator or Setup Library error occurs

    For more information, refer to MS KnowledgeBase Article(Q260558). Also, make sure you have the latest valid ctl3d32.dll in your system directory.

  • On Windows, the default myodbc3.dll is compiled for optimal performance. If you want to debug MyODBC 3.51 (for example, to enable tracing), you should instead use myodbc3d.dll. To install this file, copy myodbc3d.dll over the installed myodbc3.dll file. Make sure to revert back to the release version of the driver DLL once you are done with the debugging because the debug version may cause performance issues. Note that the myodbc3d.dll isn't included in MyODBC 3.51.07 through 3.51.11. If you are using one of these versions, you should copy that DLL from a previous version (for example, 3.51.06).

    For MyODBC 2.50, myodbc.dll and myodbcd.dll are used instead.

23.1.3.3. Configuring a MyODBC DSN on Mac OS X

To configure a DSN on Mac OS X you should use the ODBC Administrator. If you have Mac OS X 10.2 or earlier, refer to Section 23.1.3.4, “Configuring a MyODBC DSN on Unix”. Select whether you want to create a User DSN or a System DSN. If you want to add a System DSN, you may need to authenticate with the system. You must click the padlock and enter a user and password with administrator privileges.

  1. Open the ODBC Administrator from the Utilities folder in the Applications folder.

    ODBC Administrator Main
              Panel Dialog
  2. On the User DSN or System DSN panel, click Add.

  3. Select the MyODBC driver and click OK.

  4. You will be presented with the Data Source Name dialog. Enter The Data Source Name and an optional Description for the DSN.

    ODBC Administrator Add
                DSN Dialog

  5. Click Add to add a new keyword/value pair to the panel. You should configure at least four pairs to specify the server, username, password and database connection parameters. See Section 23.1.3.5, “MyODBC Connection Parameters”.

  6. Click OK to add the DSN to the list of configured data source names.

A completed DSN configuration may look like this:

ODBC Administrator Sample
          DSN Dialog

You can configure additional ODBC options to your DSN by adding further keyword/value pairs and setting the corresponding values. See Section 23.1.3.5, “MyODBC Connection Parameters”.

23.1.3.4. Configuring a MyODBC DSN on Unix

On Unix, you configure DSN entries directly in the odbc.ini file. Here is a typical odbc.ini file that configures myodbc and myodbc3 as the DSN names for MyODBC 2.50 and MyODBC 3.51, respectively:

;
;  odbc.ini configuration for MyODBC and MyODBC 3.51 drivers
;

[ODBC Data Sources]
myodbc      = MyODBC 2.50 Driver DSN
myodbc3     = MyODBC 3.51 Driver DSN

[myodbc]
Driver       = /usr/local/lib/libmyodbc.so
Description  = MyODBC 2.50 Driver DSN
SERVER       = localhost
PORT         =
USER         = root
Password     =
Database     = test
OPTION       = 3
SOCKET       =

[myodbc3]
Driver       = /usr/local/lib/libmyodbc3.so
Description  = MyODBC 3.51 Driver DSN
SERVER       = localhost
PORT         =
USER         = root
Password     =
Database     = test
OPTION       = 3
SOCKET       =

[Default]
Driver       = /usr/local/lib/libmyodbc3.so
Description  = MyODBC 3.51 Driver DSN
SERVER       = localhost
PORT         =
USER         = root
Password     =
Database     = test
OPTION       = 3
SOCKET       =

Refer to the Section 23.1.3.5, “MyODBC Connection Parameters”, for the list of connection parameters that can be supplied.

Note: If you are using unixODBC, you can use the following tools to set up the DSN:

In some cases when using unixODBC, you might get this error:

Data source name not found and no default driver specified

If this happens, make sure the ODBCINI and ODBCSYSINI environment variables are pointing to the right odbc.ini file. For example, if your odbc.ini file is located in /usr/local/etc, set the environment variables like this:

export ODBCINI=/usr/local/etc/odbc.ini
export ODBCSYSINI=/usr/local/etc

23.1.3.5. MyODBC Connection Parameters

You can specify the parameters in the following tables for MyODBC when configuring a DSN. Users on Windows can use the Options and Advanced panels when configuring a DSN to set these parameters; see the table for information on which options relate to which fields and checkboxes. On Unix and Mac OS X, use the parameter name and value as the keyword/value pair in the DSN configuration. Alternatively, you can set these parameters within the InConnectionString argument in the SQLDriverConnect() call.

ParameterDefault ValueComment
userODBC (on Windows)The username used to connect to MySQL.
serverlocalhostThe hostname of the MySQL server.
database The default database.
option0Options that specify how MyODBC should work. See below.
port3306The TCP/IP port to use if server is not localhost.
stmt A statement to execute when connecting to MySQL.
password The password for the user account on server.
socket The Unix socket file or Windows named pipe to connect to if server is localhost.

The option argument is used to tell MyODBC that the client isn't 100% ODBC compliant. On Windows, you normally select options by toggling the checkboxes in the connection screen, but you can also select them in the option argument. The following options are listed in the order in which they appear in the MyODBC connect screen:

ValueWindows CheckboxDescription
1Don't Optimized Column WidthThe client can't handle that MyODBC returns the real width of a column.
2Return Matching RowsThe client can't handle that MySQL returns the true value of affected rows. If this flag is set, MySQL returns “found rows” instead. You must have MySQL 3.21.14 or newer to get this to work.
4Trace Driver Calls To myodbc.logMake a debug log in C:\myodbc.log on Windows, or /tmp/myodbc.log on Unix variants.
8Allow Big ResultsDon't set any packet limit for results and parameters.
16Don't Prompt Upon ConnectDon't prompt for questions even if driver would like to prompt.
32Enable Dynamic CursorEnable or disable the dynamic cursor support. (Not allowed in MyODBC 2.50.)
64Ignore # in Table NameIgnore use of database name in db_name.tbl_name.col_name.
128User Manager CursorsForce use of ODBC manager cursors (experimental).
256Don't Use Set LocaleDisable the use of extended fetch (experimental).
512Pad Char To Full LengthPad CHAR columns to full column length.
1024Return Table Names for SQLDescribeColSQLDescribeCol() returns fully qualified column names.
2048Use Compressed ProtocolUse the compressed client/server protocol.
4096Ignore Space After Function NamesTell server to ignore space after function name and before ‘(’ (needed by PowerBuilder). This makes all function names keywords.
8192Force Use of Named PipesConnect with named pipes to a mysqld server running on NT.
16384Change BIGINT Columns to IntChange BIGINT columns to INT columns (some applications can't handle BIGINT).
32768No Catalog (exp)Return 'user' as Table_qualifier and Table_owner from SQLTables (experimental).
65536Read Options From my.cnfRead parameters from the [client] and [odbc] groups from my.cnf.
131072SafeAdd some extra safety checks (should not be needed but...).
262144Disable transactionDisable transactions.
524288Save queries to myodbc.sqlEnable query logging to c:\myodbc.sql(/tmp/myodbc.sql) file. (Enabled only in debug mode.)
1048576Don't Cache Result (forward only cursors)Do not cache the results locally in the driver, instead read from server (mysql_use_result()). This works only for forward-only cursors. This option is very important in dealing with large tables when you don't want the driver to cache the entire result set.
2097152Force Use Of Forward Only CursorsForce the use of Forward-only cursor type. In case of applications setting the default static/dynamic cursor type, and one wants the driver to use non-cache result sets, then this option ensures the forward-only cursor behavior.

To select multiple options, add together their values. For example, setting option to 12 (4+8) gives you debugging without packet limits.

The following table shows some recommended option values for various configurations:

ConfigurationOption Value
Microsoft Access, Visual Basic3
Driver trace generation (Debug mode)4
Microsoft Access (with improved DELETE queries)35
Large tables with too many rows2049
Sybase PowerBuilder135168
Query log generation (Debug mode)524288
Generate driver trace as well as query log (Debug mode)524292
Large tables with no-cache results3145731

23.1.3.6. Connecting Without a Predefined DSN

You can connect to the MySQL server using SQLDriverConnect, by specifying the DRIVER name field. Here are the connection strings for MyODBC using DSN-Less connections:

For MyODBC 2.50:

ConnectionString = "DRIVER={MySQL};\
                   SERVER=localhost;\
                   DATABASE=test;\
                   USER=venu;\
                   PASSWORD=venu;\
                   OPTION=3;"

For MyODBC 3.51:

ConnectionString = "DRIVER={MySQL ODBC 3.51 Driver};\
                   SERVER=localhost;\
                   DATABASE=test;\
                   USER=venu;\
                   PASSWORD=venu;\
                   OPTION=3;"

If your programming language converts backslash followed by whitespace to a space, it is preferable to specify the connection string as a single long string, or to use a concatenation of multiple strings that does not add spaces in between. For example:

ConnectionString = "DRIVER={MySQL ODBC 3.51 Driver};"
                   "SERVER=localhost;"
                   "DATABASE=test;"
                   "USER=venu;"
                   "PASSWORD=venu;"
                   "OPTION=3;"

Note.  Note that on Mac OS X you may need to specify the full path to the MyODBC driver library.

Refer to the Section 23.1.3.5, “MyODBC Connection Parameters”, for the list of connection parameters that can be supplied.

23.1.3.7. ODBC Connection Pooling

Connection pooling enables the ODBC driver to re-use existing connections to a given database from a pool of connections, instead of opening a new connection each time the database is accessed. By enabling connection pooling you can improve the overall performance of your application by lowering the time taken to open a connection to a database in the connection pool.

For more information about connection pooling: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q169470.

23.1.3.8. Getting an ODBC Trace File

If you encounter difficulties or problems with MyODBC, you should start by making a log file from the ODBC Manager and MyODBC. This is called tracing, and is enabled through the ODBC Manager. The procedure for this differs for Windows, Mac OS X and Unix.

23.1.3.8.1. Enabling ODBC Tracing on Windows

To enable the trace option on Windows:

  1. The Tracing tab of the ODBC Data Source Administrator dialog box enables you to configure the way ODBC function calls are traced.

    ODBC Data Source Administrator Tracing
                Dialog
  2. When you activate tracing from the Tracing tab, the Driver Manager logs all ODBC function calls for all subsequently run applications.

  3. ODBC function calls from applications running before tracing is activated are not logged. ODBC function calls are recorded in a log file you specify.

  4. Tracing ceases only after you click Stop Tracing Now. Remember that while tracing is on, the log file continues to increase in size and that tracing affects the performance of all your ODBC applications.

23.1.3.8.2. Enabling ODBC Tracing on Mac OS X

To enable the trace option on Mac OS X 10.3 or later you should use the Tracing tab within ODBC Administrator .

  1. Open the ODBC Administrator.

  2. Select the Tracing tab.

    ODBC Administrator Tracing
                Dialog
  3. Select the Enable Tracing checkbox.

  4. Enter the location where you want to save the Tracing log. If you want to append information to an existing log file, click the Choose... button.

23.1.3.8.3. Enabling ODBC Tracing on Unix

To enable the trace option on Mac OS X 10.2 (or earlier) or Unix you must add the trace option to the ODBC configuration:

  1. On Unix, you need to explicitly set the Trace option in the ODBC.INI file.

    Set the tracing ON or OFF by using TraceFile and Trace parameters in odbc.ini as shown below:

    TraceFile  = /tmp/odbc.trace
    Trace      = 1
    

    TraceFile specifies the name and full path of the trace file and Trace is set to ON or OFF. You can also use 1 or YES for ON and 0 or NO for OFF. If you are using ODBCConfig from unixODBC, then follow the instructions for tracing unixODBC calls at HOWTO-ODBCConfig.

23.1.3.8.4. Enabling a MyODBC Log

To generate a MyODBC log, do the following:

  1. Within Windows, enable the Trace MyODBC option flag in the MyODBC connect/configure screen. The log is written to file C:\myodbc.log. If the trace option is not remembered when you are going back to the above screen, it means that you are not using the myodbcd.dll driver, see xref linkend="myodbc-configuration-dsn-windows-problems"/>.

    On Mac OS X, Unix, or if you are using DSN-Less connection, then you need to supply OPTION=4 in the connection string or set the corresponding keyword/value pair in the DSN.

  2. Start your application and try to get it to fail. Then check the MyODBC trace file to find out what could be wrong.

If you need help determining what is wrong, see Section 23.1.7.1, “MyODBC Community Support”.

23.1.4. MyODBC Examples

Once you have configured a DSN to provide access to a database, how you access and use that connection is dependent on the application or programming language. As ODBC is a standardized interface, any application or language that supports ODBC can use the DSN and connect to the configured database.

23.1.4.1. Basic MyODBC Application Steps

Interacting with a MySQL server from an applications using the MyODBC typically involves the following operations:

  • Configure the MyODBC DSN

  • Connect to MySQL server

  • Initialization operations

  • Execute SQL statements

  • Retrieve results

  • Perform Transactions

  • Disconnect from the server

Most applications use some variation of these steps. The basic application steps are shown in the following diagram:

MyODBC Programming Flowchart

23.1.4.2. Step-by-step Guide to Connecting to a MySQL Database through MyODBC

A typical installation situation where you would install MyODBC is when you want to access a database on a Linux or Unix host from a Windows machine.

As an example of the process required to set up access between two machines, the steps below take you through the basic steps. These instructions assume that you want to connect to system ALPHA from system BETA with a username and password of myuser and mypassword.

On system ALPHA (the MySQL server) follow these steps:

  1. Start the MySQL server.

  2. Use GRANT to set up an account with a username of myuser that can connect from system BETA using a password of myuser to the database test:

    GRANT ALL ON test.* to 'myuser'@'BETA' IDENTIFIED BY 'mypassword';

    For more information about MySQL privileges, refer to Section 5.9, “MySQL User Account Management”.

On system BETA (the MyODBC client), follow these steps:

  1. Configure a MyODBC DSN using parameters that match the server, database and authentication information that you have just configured on system ALPHA.

    ParameterValueComment
    DSNremote_testA name to identify the connection.
    SERVERALPHAThe address of the remote server.
    DATABASEtestThe name of the default database.
    USERmyuserThe username configured for access to this database.
    PASSWORDmypasswordThe password for myuser.
  2. Using an ODBC-capable application, such as Microsoft Office, connect to the MySQL server using the DSN you have just created. If the connection fails, use tracing to examine the connection process. See Section 23.1.3.8, “Getting an ODBC Trace File”, for more information.

23.1.4.3. MyODBC and Third-Party ODBC Tools

Once you have configured your MyODBC DSN, you can access your MySQL database through any application that supports the ODBC interface, including programming languages and third-party applications. This section contains guides and help on using MyODBC with various ODBC-compatible tools and applications, including Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and Adobe/Macromedia ColdFusion.

23.1.4.3.1. Applications Tested with MyODBC

MyODBC has been tested with the following applications:

PublisherApplicationNotes
AdobeColdFusionFormerly Macromedia ColdFusion
BorlandC++ Builder 
 Builder 4 
 Delphi 
Business ObjectsCrystal Reports 
ClarisFilemaker Pro 
CorelParadox 
Computer AssociatesVisual ObjectsAlso known as CAVO
 AllFusion ERwin Data Modeler 
GuptaTeam DeveloperPreviously known as Centura Team Developer; Gupta SQL/Windows
GensymG2-ODBC Bridge 
InlineiHTML 
LotusNotesVersions 4.5 and 4.6
MicrosoftAccess 
 Excel 
 Visio Enterprise 
 Visual C++ 
 Visual Basic 
 ODBC.NETUsing C#, Visual Basic, C++
 FoxPro 
 Visual Interdev 
OpenOffice.orgOpenOffice.org 
PerlDBD::ODBC 
Pervasive SoftwareDataJunction 
Sambar TechnologiesSambar Server 
SPSSSPSS 
SoftVelocityClarion 
SQLExpressSQLExpress for Xbase++ 
SunStarOffice 
SunSystemsVision 
SybasePowerBuilder 
 PowerDesigner 
theKompany.comData Architect 

If you know of any other applications that work with MyODBC, please send mail to about them.

23.1.4.3.2. Using MyODBC with Microsoft Word or Excel

You can use Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel to access information from a MySQL database using MyODBC. Within Microsoft Word, this facility is most useful when importing data for mailmerge, or for tables and data to be included in reports. Within Microsoft Excel, you can execute queries on your MySQL server and import the data directly into an Excel Worksheet, presenting the data as a series of rows and columns.

With both applications, data is accessed and imported into the application using Microsoft Query , which enables you to execute a query though an ODBC source. You use Microsoft Query to build the SQL statement to be executed, selecting the tables, fields, selection criteria and sort order. For example, to insert information from a table in the World test database into an Excel spreadsheet, using the DSN samples shown in Section 23.1.3, “MyODBC Configuration”:

  1. Create a new Worksheet.

  2. From the Data menu, choose Import External Data, and then select New Database Query.

  3. Microsoft Query will start. First, you need to choose the data source, by selecting an existing Data Source Name.

    Microsoft Query, Choose Data
                Source
  4. Within the Query Wizard, you must choose the columns that you want to import. The list of tables available to the user configured through the DSN is shown on the left, the columns that will be added to your query are shown on the right. The columns you choose are equivalent to those in the first section of a SELECT query. Click Next to continue.

    Microsoft Query, Choose
                Columns
  5. You can filter rows from the query (the equivalent of a WHERE clause) using the Filter Data dialog. Click Next to continue.

    Microsoft Query, Filter Data
  6. Select an (optional) sort order for the data. This is equivalent to using a ORDER BY clause in your SQL query. You can select up to three fields for sorting the information returned by the query. Click Next to continue.

    Microsoft Query, Sort Order
  7. Select the destination for your query. You can select to return the data Microsoft Excel, where you can choose a worksheet and cell where the data will be inserted; you can continue to view the query and results within Microsoft Query, where you can edit the SQL query and further filter and sort the information returned; or you can create an OLAP Cube from the query, which can then be used directly within Microsoft Excel. Click Finish.

    Microsoft Query, Selecting a
                destination

The same process can be used to import data into a Word document, where the data will be inserted as a table. This can be used for mail merge purposes (where the field data is read from a Word table), or where you want to include data and reports within a report or other document.

23.1.4.3.3. Using MyODBC and Microsoft Access

You can use MySQL database with Microsoft Access using MyODBC. The MySQL database can be used as an import source, an export source, or as a linked table for direct use within an Access application, so you can use Access as the front-end interface to a MySQL database.

23.1.4.3.3.1. Exporting Access Data to MySQL

To export a table of data from an Access database to MySQL, follow these instructions:

  1. When you open an Access database or an Access project, a Database window appears. It displays shortcuts for creating new database objects and opening existing objects.

    Access Database
  2. Click the name of the table or query you want to export, and then in the File menu, select Export.

  3. In the Export Object Type Object name To dialog box, in the Save As Type box, select ODBC Databases () as shown here:

    Selecting an ODBC Database
  4. In the Export dialog box, enter a name for the file (or use the suggested name), and then select OK.

  5. The Select Data Source dialog box is displayed; it lists the defined data sources for any ODBC drivers installed on your computer. Click either the File Data Source or Machine Data Source tab, and then double-click the MyODBC or MyODBC 3.51 data source that you want to export to. To define a new data source for MyODBC, please Section 23.1.3.2, “Configuring a MyODBC DSN on Windows”.

Microsoft Access connects to the MySQL Server through this data source and exports new tables and or data.

23.1.4.3.3.2. Importing MySQL Data to Access

To import or link a table or tables from MySQL to Access, follow these instructions:

  1. Open a database, or switch to the Database window for the open database.

  2. To import tables, on the File menu, point to Get External Data, and then click Import. To link tables, on the File menu, point to Get External Data, and then click Link Tables.

  3. In the Import (or Link) dialog box, in the Files Of Type box, select ODBC Databases (). The Select Data Source dialog box lists the defined data sources The Select Data Source dialog box is displayed; it lists the defined data source names.

  4. If the ODBC data source that you selected requires you to log on, enter your login ID and password (additional information might also be required), and then click OK.

  5. Microsoft Access connects to the MySQL server through ODBC data source and displays the list of tables that you can import or link.

  6. Click each table that you want to import or link, and then click OK. If you're linking a table and it doesn't have an index that uniquely identifies each record, Microsoft Access displays a list of the fields in the linked table. Click a field or a combination of fields that uniquely identifies each record, and then click OK.

23.1.4.3.3.3. Linking MySQL Data to Access Tables

Use the following procedure to view or to refresh links when the structure or location of a linked table has changed. The Linked Table Manager lists the paths to all currently linked tables.

To view or refresh links:

  1. Open the database that contains links to tables.

  2. On the Tools menu, point to Add-ins (Database Utilities in Access 2000 or newer), and then click Linked Table Manager.

  3. Select the check box for the tables whose links you want to refresh.

  4. Click OK to refresh the links.

Microsoft Access confirms a successful refresh or, if the table wasn't found, displays the Select New Location of <table name> dialog box in which you can specify its the table's new location. If several selected tables have moved to the new location that you specify, the Linked Table Manager searches that location for all selected tables, and updates all links in one step.

To change the path for a set of linked tables:

  1. Open the database that contains links to tables.

  2. On the Tools menu, point to Add-ins (Database Utilities in Access 2000 or newer), and then click Linked Table Manager.

  3. Select the Always Prompt For A New Location check box.

  4. Select the check box for the tables whose links you want to change, and then click OK.

  5. In the Select New Location of <table name> dialog box, specify the new location, click Open, and then click OK.

23.1.4.4. MyODBC Programming Examples

With a suitable ODBC Manager and the my MyODBC driver installed, any programming language or environment that can support ODBC should be able to connect to a MySQL database through MyODBC.

This includes, but is certainly not limited to, Microsoft support languages (including Visual Basic, C# and interfaces such as ODBC.NET), Perl (through the DBI module, and the DBD::ODBC driver).

23.1.4.4.1. Using MyODBC with Visual Basic Using ADO, DAO and RDO

This section contains simple examples of the use of MySQL ODBC 3.51 Driver with ADO, DAO and RDO.

23.1.4.4.1.1. ADO: rs.addNew, rs.delete, and rs.update

The following ADO (ActiveX Data Objects) example creates a table my_ado and demonstrates the use of rs.addNew, rs.delete, and rs.update.

Private Sub myodbc_ado_Click()

Dim conn As ADODB.Connection
Dim rs As ADODB.Recordset
Dim fld As ADODB.Field
Dim sql As String

'connect to MySQL server using MySQL ODBC 3.51 Driver
Set conn = New ADODB.Connection
conn.ConnectionString = "DRIVER={MySQL ODBC 3.51 Driver};"_
& "SERVER=localhost;"_
& " DATABASE=test;"_
& "UID=venu;PWD=venu; OPTION=3"

conn.Open

'create table
conn.Execute "DROP TABLE IF EXISTS my_ado"
conn.Execute "CREATE TABLE my_ado(id int not null primary key, name varchar(20)," _
& "txt text, dt date, tm time, ts timestamp)"

'direct insert
conn.Execute "INSERT INTO my_ado(id,name,txt) values(1,100,'venu')"
conn.Execute "INSERT INTO my_ado(id,name,txt) values(2,200,'MySQL')"
conn.Execute "INSERT INTO my_ado(id,name,txt) values(3,300,'Delete')"

Set rs = New ADODB.Recordset
rs.CursorLocation = adUseServer

'fetch the initial table ..
rs.Open "SELECT * FROM my_ado", conn
Debug.Print rs.RecordCount
rs.MoveFirst
Debug.Print String(50, "-") & "Initial my_ado Result Set " & String(50, "-")
For Each fld In rs.Fields
Debug.Print fld.Name,
Next
Debug.Print

Do Until rs.EOF
For Each fld In rs.Fields
Debug.Print fld.Value,
Next
rs.MoveNext
Debug.Print
Loop
rs.Close

'rs insert
rs.Open "select * from my_ado", conn, adOpenDynamic, adLockOptimistic
rs.AddNew
rs!Name = "Monty"
rs!txt = "Insert row"
rs.Update
rs.Close

'rs update
rs.Open "SELECT * FROM my_ado"
rs!Name = "update"
rs!txt = "updated-row"
rs.Update
rs.Close

'rs update second time..
rs.Open "SELECT * FROM my_ado"
rs!Name = "update"
rs!txt = "updated-second-time"
rs.Update
rs.Close

'rs delete
rs.Open "SELECT * FROM my_ado"
rs.MoveNext
rs.MoveNext
rs.Delete
rs.Close

'fetch the updated table ..
rs.Open "SELECT * FROM my_ado", conn
Debug.Print rs.RecordCount
rs.MoveFirst
Debug.Print String(50, "-") & "Updated my_ado Result Set " & String(50, "-")
For Each fld In rs.Fields
Debug.Print fld.Name,
Next
Debug.Print

Do Until rs.EOF
For Each fld In rs.Fields
Debug.Print fld.Value,
Next
rs.MoveNext
Debug.Print
Loop
rs.Close
conn.Close
End Sub
23.1.4.4.1.2. DAO: rs.addNew, rs.update, and Scrolling

The following DAO (Data Access Objects) example creates a table my_dao and demonstrates the use of rs.addNew, rs.update, and result set scrolling.

Private Sub myodbc_dao_Click()

Dim ws As Workspace
Dim conn As Connection
Dim queryDef As queryDef
Dim str As String

'connect to MySQL using MySQL ODBC 3.51 Driver
Set ws = DBEngine.CreateWorkspace("", "venu", "venu", dbUseODBC)
str = "odbc;DRIVER={MySQL ODBC 3.51 Driver};"_
& "SERVER=localhost;"_
& " DATABASE=test;"_
& "UID=venu;PWD=venu; OPTION=3"
Set conn = ws.OpenConnection("test", dbDriverNoPrompt, False, str)

'Create table my_dao
Set queryDef = conn.CreateQueryDef("", "drop table if exists my_dao")
queryDef.Execute

Set queryDef = conn.CreateQueryDef("", "create table my_dao(Id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY, " _
& "Ts TIMESTAMP(14) NOT NULL, Name varchar(20), Id2 INT)")
queryDef.Execute

'Insert new records using rs.addNew
Set rs = conn.OpenRecordset("my_dao")
Dim i As Integer

For i = 10 To 15
rs.AddNew
rs!Name = "insert record" & i
rs!Id2 = i
rs.Update
Next i
rs.Close

'rs update..
Set rs = conn.OpenRecordset("my_dao")
rs.Edit
rs!Name = "updated-string"
rs.Update
rs.Close

'fetch the table back...
Set rs = conn.OpenRecordset("my_dao", dbOpenDynamic)
str = "Results:"
rs.MoveFirst
While Not rs.EOF
str = " " & rs!Id & " , " & rs!Name & ", " & rs!Ts & ", " & rs!Id2
Debug.Print "DATA:" & str
rs.MoveNext
Wend

'rs Scrolling
rs.MoveFirst
str = " FIRST ROW: " & rs!Id & " , " & rs!Name & ", " & rs!Ts & ", " & rs!Id2
Debug.Print str

rs.MoveLast
str = " LAST ROW: " & rs!Id & " , " & rs!Name & ", " & rs!Ts & ", " & rs!Id2
Debug.Print str

rs.MovePrevious
str = " LAST-1 ROW: " & rs!Id & " , " & rs!Name & ", " & rs!Ts & ", " & rs!Id2
Debug.Print str

'free all resources
rs.Close
queryDef.Close
conn.Close
ws.Close

End Sub
23.1.4.4.1.3. RDO: rs.addNew and rs.update

The following RDO (Remote Data Objects) example creates a table my_rdo and demonstrates the use of rs.addNew and rs.update.

Dim rs As rdoResultset
Dim cn As New rdoConnection
Dim cl As rdoColumn
Dim SQL As String

'cn.Connect = "DSN=test;"
cn.Connect = "DRIVER={MySQL ODBC 3.51 Driver};"_
& "SERVER=localhost;"_
& " DATABASE=test;"_
& "UID=venu;PWD=venu; OPTION=3"

cn.CursorDriver = rdUseOdbc
cn.EstablishConnection rdDriverPrompt


'drop table my_rdo
SQL = "drop table if exists my_rdo"
cn.Execute SQL, rdExecDirect

'create table my_rdo
SQL = "create table my_rdo(id int, name varchar(20))"
cn.Execute SQL, rdExecDirect

'insert - direct
SQL = "insert into my_rdo values (100,'venu')"
cn.Execute SQL, rdExecDirect

SQL = "insert into my_rdo values (200,'MySQL')"
cn.Execute SQL, rdExecDirect

'rs insert
SQL = "select * from my_rdo"
Set rs = cn.OpenResultset(SQL, rdOpenStatic, rdConcurRowVer, rdExecDirect)
rs.AddNew
rs!id = 300
rs!Name = "Insert1"
rs.Update
rs.Close

'rs insert
SQL = "select * from my_rdo"
Set rs = cn.OpenResultset(SQL, rdOpenStatic, rdConcurRowVer, rdExecDirect)
rs.AddNew
rs!id = 400
rs!Name = "Insert 2"
rs.Update
rs.Close

'rs update
SQL = "select * from my_rdo"
Set rs = cn.OpenResultset(SQL, rdOpenStatic, rdConcurRowVer, rdExecDirect)
rs.Edit
rs!id = 999
rs!Name = "updated"
rs.Update
rs.Close

'fetch back...
SQL = "select * from my_rdo"
Set rs = cn.OpenResultset(SQL, rdOpenStatic, rdConcurRowVer, rdExecDirect)
Do Until rs.EOF
For Each cl In rs.rdoColumns
Debug.Print cl.Value,
Next
rs.MoveNext
Debug.Print
Loop
Debug.Print "Row count="; rs.RowCount

'close
rs.Close
cn.Close

End Sub
23.1.4.4.2. Using MyODBC with .NET

This section contains simple examples that demonstrate the use of MyODBC drivers with ODBC.NET.

23.1.4.4.2.1. Using MyODBC with ODBC.NET and C# (C sharp)

The following sample creates a table my_odbc_net and demonstrates its use in C#.

/**
 * @sample    : mycon.cs
 * @purpose   : Demo sample for ODBC.NET using MyODBC
 * @author    : Venu, 
 *
 * (C) Copyright MySQL AB, 1995-2006
 *
 **/
          
/* build command
 *
 *  csc /t:exe
 *      /out:mycon.exe mycon.cs
 *      /r:Microsoft.Data.Odbc.dll
 */
          
using Console = System.Console;
using Microsoft.Data.Odbc;
          
namespace myodbc3
{
  class mycon
  {
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
      try
        {
          //Connection string for MyODBC 2.50
          /*string MyConString = "DRIVER={MySQL};" +
            "SERVER=localhost;" +
            "DATABASE=test;" +
            "UID=venu;" +
            "PASSWORD=venu;" +
            "OPTION=3";
          */
          //Connection string for MyODBC 3.51
          string MyConString = "DRIVER={MySQL ODBC 3.51 Driver};" +
            "SERVER=localhost;" +
            "DATABASE=test;" +
            "UID=venu;" +
            "PASSWORD=venu;" +
            "OPTION=3";
          
          //Connect to MySQL using MyODBC
          OdbcConnection MyConnection = new OdbcConnection(MyConString);
          MyConnection.Open();
          
          Console.WriteLine("\n !!! success, connected successfully !!!\n");
          
          //Display connection information
          Console.WriteLine("Connection Information:");
          Console.WriteLine("\tConnection String:" + 
                            MyConnection.ConnectionString);
          Console.WriteLine("\tConnection Timeout:" + 
                            MyConnection.ConnectionTimeout);
          Console.WriteLine("\tDatabase:" + 
                            MyConnection.Database);
          Console.WriteLine("\tDataSource:" + 
                            MyConnection.DataSource);
          Console.WriteLine("\tDriver:" + 
                            MyConnection.Driver);
          Console.WriteLine("\tServerVersion:" + 
                            MyConnection.ServerVersion);
          
          //Create a sample table
          OdbcCommand MyCommand = 
            new OdbcCommand("DROP TABLE IF EXISTS my_odbc_net",
                            MyConnection);
          MyCommand.ExecuteNonQuery();
          MyCommand.CommandText = 
            "CREATE TABLE my_odbc_net(id int, name varchar(20), idb bigint)";
          MyCommand.ExecuteNonQuery();
          
          //Insert
          MyCommand.CommandText = 
            "INSERT INTO my_odbc_net VALUES(10,'venu', 300)";
          Console.WriteLine("INSERT, Total rows affected:" + 
                            MyCommand.ExecuteNonQuery());;
          
          //Insert
          MyCommand.CommandText = 
            "INSERT INTO my_odbc_net VALUES(20,'mysql',400)";
          Console.WriteLine("INSERT, Total rows affected:" + 
                            MyCommand.ExecuteNonQuery());
          
          //Insert
          MyCommand.CommandText = 
            "INSERT INTO my_odbc_net VALUES(20,'mysql',500)";
          Console.WriteLine("INSERT, Total rows affected:" + 
                            MyCommand.ExecuteNonQuery());
          
          //Update
          MyCommand.CommandText = 
            "UPDATE my_odbc_net SET id=999 WHERE id=20";
          Console.WriteLine("Update, Total rows affected:" + 
                            MyCommand.ExecuteNonQuery());
          
          //COUNT(*)
          MyCommand.CommandText = 
            "SELECT COUNT(*) as TRows FROM my_odbc_net";
          Console.WriteLine("Total Rows:" + 
                            MyCommand.ExecuteScalar());
          
          //Fetch
          MyCommand.CommandText = "SELECT * FROM my_odbc_net";
          OdbcDataReader MyDataReader;
          MyDataReader =  MyCommand.ExecuteReader();
          while (MyDataReader.Read())
            {
              if(string.Compare(MyConnection.Driver,"myodbc3.dll") == 0) {
                //Supported only by MyODBC 3.51
                Console.WriteLine("Data:" + MyDataReader.GetInt32(0) + " " +
                                  MyDataReader.GetString(1) + " " +
                                  MyDataReader.GetInt64(2)); 
              }
              else {
                //BIGINTs not supported by MyODBC
                Console.WriteLine("Data:" + MyDataReader.GetInt32(0) + " " +
                                  MyDataReader.GetString(1) + " " +
                                  MyDataReader.GetInt32(2)); 
              }
            }
          
          //Close all resources
          MyDataReader.Close();
          MyConnection.Close();
        }
      catch (OdbcException MyOdbcException) //Catch any ODBC exception ..
        {
          for (int i=0; i < MyOdbcException.Errors.Count; i++)
            {
              Console.Write("ERROR #" + i + "\n" +
                            "Message: " + 
                            MyOdbcException.Errors[i].Message + "\n" +
                            "Native: " + 
                            MyOdbcException.Errors[i].NativeError.ToString() + "\n" +
                            "Source: " + 
                            MyOdbcException.Errors[i].Source + "\n" +
                            "SQL: " + 
                            MyOdbcException.Errors[i].SQLState + "\n");
            }
        }
    }
  }
}
23.1.4.4.2.2. Using MyODBC with ODBC.NET and Visual Basic

The following sample creates a table my_vb_net and demonstrates the use in VB.

' @sample    : myvb.vb
' @purpose   : Demo sample for ODBC.NET using MyODBC
' @author    : Venu, 
'
' (C) Copyright MySQL AB, 1995-2006
'
'

'
' build command
'
' vbc /target:exe
'     /out:myvb.exe
'     /r:Microsoft.Data.Odbc.dll
'     /r:System.dll
'     /r:System.Data.dll
'

Imports Microsoft.Data.Odbc
Imports System

Module myvb
  Sub Main()
    Try

      'MyODBC 3.51 connection string
      Dim MyConString As String = "DRIVER={MySQL ODBC 3.51 Driver};" & _
      "SERVER=localhost;" & _
      "DATABASE=test;" & _
      "UID=venu;" & _
      "PASSWORD=venu;" & _
      "OPTION=3;"

      'Connection
      Dim MyConnection As New OdbcConnection(MyConString)
      MyConnection.Open()

      Console.WriteLine("Connection State::" & MyConnection.State.ToString)

      'Drop
      Console.WriteLine("Dropping table")
      Dim MyCommand As New OdbcCommand()
      MyCommand.Connection = MyConnection
      MyCommand.CommandText = "DROP TABLE IF EXISTS my_vb_net"
      MyCommand.ExecuteNonQuery()

      'Create
      Console.WriteLine("Creating....")
      MyCommand.CommandText = "CREATE TABLE my_vb_net(id int, name varchar(30))"
      MyCommand.ExecuteNonQuery()

      'Insert
      MyCommand.CommandText = "INSERT INTO my_vb_net VALUES(10,'venu')"
      Console.WriteLine("INSERT, Total rows affected:" & _
      MyCommand.ExecuteNonQuery())

      'Insert
      MyCommand.CommandText = "INSERT INTO my_vb_net VALUES(20,'mysql')"
      Console.WriteLine("INSERT, Total rows affected:" & _
      MyCommand.ExecuteNonQuery())

      'Insert
      MyCommand.CommandText = "INSERT INTO my_vb_net VALUES(20,'mysql')"
      Console.WriteLine("INSERT, Total rows affected:" & _
      MyCommand.ExecuteNonQuery())

      'Insert
      MyCommand.CommandText = "INSERT INTO my_vb_net(id) VALUES(30)"
      Console.WriteLine("INSERT, Total rows affected:" & _
                        MyCommand.ExecuteNonQuery())

      'Update
      MyCommand.CommandText = "UPDATE my_vb_net SET id=999 WHERE id=20"
      Console.WriteLine("Update, Total rows affected:" & _
      MyCommand.ExecuteNonQuery())

      'COUNT(*)
      MyCommand.CommandText = "SELECT COUNT(*) as TRows FROM my_vb_net"
      Console.WriteLine("Total Rows:" & MyCommand.ExecuteScalar())

      'Select
      Console.WriteLine("Select * FROM my_vb_net")
      MyCommand.CommandText = "SELECT * FROM my_vb_net"
      Dim MyDataReader As OdbcDataReader
      MyDataReader = MyCommand.ExecuteReader
      While MyDataReader.Read
        If MyDataReader("name") Is DBNull.Value Then
          Console.WriteLine("id = " & _
          CStr(MyDataReader("id")) & "  name = " & _
          "NULL")
        Else
          Console.WriteLine("id = " & _
          CStr(MyDataReader("id")) & "  name = " & _
          CStr(MyDataReader("name")))
        End If
      End While

      'Catch ODBC Exception
    Catch MyOdbcException As OdbcException
      Dim i As Integer
      Console.WriteLine(MyOdbcException.ToString)

      'Catch program exception
    Catch MyException As Exception
      Console.WriteLine(MyException.ToString)
    End Try
  End Sub

23.1.5. MyODBC Reference

This section provides reference material for the MyODBC API, showing supported functions and methods, supported MySQL column types and the corresponding native type in MyODBC, and the error codes returned by MyODBC when a fault occurs.

23.1.5.1. MyODBC API Reference

This section summarizes ODBC routines, categorized by functionality.

For the complete ODBC API reference, please refer to the ODBC Programer's Reference at http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/odbc/htm/odbcabout_this_manual.asp.

An application can call SQLGetInfo function to obtain conformance information about MyODBC. To obtain information about support for a specific function in the driver, an application can call SQLGetFunctions.

Note: For backward compatibility, the MyODBC 3.51 driver supports all deprecated functions.

The following tables list MyODBC API calls grouped by task:

Connecting to a data source:

 MyODBC  
Function name2.503.51StandardPurpose
SQLAllocHandleNoYesISO 92Obtains an environment, connection, statement, or descriptor handle.
SQLConnectYesYesISO 92Connects to a specific driver by data source name, user ID, and password.
SQLDriverConnectYesYesODBCConnects to a specific driver by connection string or requests that the Driver Manager and driver display connection dialog boxes for the user.
SQLAllocEnvYesYesDeprecatedObtains an environment handle allocated from driver.
SQLAllocConnectYesYesDeprecatedObtains a connection handle

Obtaining information about a driver and data source:

 MyODBC  
Function name2.503.51StandardPurpose
SQLDataSourcesNoNoISO 92Returns the list of available data sources, handled by the Driver Manager
SQLDriversNoNoODBCReturns the list of installed drivers and their attributes, handles by Driver Manager
SQLGetInfoYesYesISO 92Returns information about a specific driver and data source.
SQLGetFunctionsYesYesISO 92Returns supported driver functions.
SQLGetTypeInfoYesYesISO 92Returns information about supported data types.

Setting and retrieving driver attributes:

 MyODBC  
Function name2.503.51StandardPurpose
SQLSetConnectAttrNoYesISO 92Sets a connection attribute.
SQLGetConnectAttrNoYesISO 92Returns the value of a connection attribute.
SQLSetConnectOptionYesYesDeprecatedSets a connection option
SQLGetConnectOptionYesYesDeprecatedReturns the value of a connection option
SQLSetEnvAttrNoYesISO 92Sets an environment attribute.
SQLGetEnvAttrNoYesISO 92Returns the value of an environment attribute.
SQLSetStmtAttrNoYesISO 92Sets a statement attribute.
SQLGetStmtAttrNoYesISO 92Returns the value of a statement attribute.
SQLSetStmtOptionYesYesDeprecatedSets a statement option
SQLGetStmtOptionYesYesDeprecatedReturns the value of a statement option

Preparing SQL requests:

 MyODBC  
Function name2.503.51StandardPurpose
SQLAllocStmtYesYesDeprecatedAllocates a statement handle
SQLPrepareYesYesISO 92Prepares an SQL statement for later execution.
SQLBindParameterYesYesODBCAssigns storage for a parameter in an SQL statement.
SQLGetCursorNameYesYesISO 92Returns the cursor name associated with a statement handle.
SQLSetCursorNameYesYesISO 92Specifies a cursor name.
SQLSetScrollOptionsYesYesODBCSets options that control cursor behavior.

Submitting requests:

 MyODBC  
Function name2.503.51StandardPurpose
SQLExecuteYesYesISO 92Executes a prepared statement.
SQLExecDirectYesYesISO 92Executes a statement
SQLNativeSqlYesYesODBCReturns the text of an SQL statement as translated by the driver.
SQLDescribeParamYesYesODBCReturns the description for a specific parameter in a statement.
SQLNumParamsYesYesISO 92Returns the number of parameters in a statement.
SQLParamDataYesYesISO 92Used in conjunction with SQLPutData to supply parameter data at execution time. (Useful for long data values.)
SQLPutDataYesYesISO 92Sends part or all of a data value for a parameter. (Useful for long data values.)

Retrieving results and information about results:

 MyODBC  
Function name2.503.51StandardPurpose
SQLRowCountYesYesISO 92Returns the number of rows affected by an insert, update, or delete request.
SQLNumResultColsYesYesISO 92Returns the number of columns in the result set.
SQLDescribeColYesYesISO 92Describes a column in the result set.
SQLColAttributeNoYesISO 92Describes attributes of a column in the result set.
SQLColAttributesYesYesDeprecatedDescribes attributes of a column in the result set.
SQLFetchYesYesISO 92Returns multiple result rows.
SQLFetchScrollNoYesISO 92Returns scrollable result rows.
SQLExtendedFetchYesYesDeprecatedReturns scrollable result rows.
SQLSetPosYesYesODBCPositions a cursor within a fetched block of data and allows an application to refresh data in the rowset or to update or delete data in the result set.
SQLBulkOperationsNoYesODBCPerforms bulk insertions and bulk bookmark operations, including update, delete, and fetch by bookmark.

Retrieving error or diagnostic information:

 MyODBC  
Function name2.503.51StandardPurpose
SQLErrorYesYesDeprecatedReturns additional error or status information
SQLGetDiagFieldYesYesISO 92Returns additional diagnostic information (a single field of the diagnostic data structure).
SQLGetDiagRecYesYesISO 92Returns additional diagnostic information (multiple fields of the diagnostic data structure).

Obtaining information about the data source's system tables (catalog functions) item:

 MyODBC  
Function name2.503.51StandardPurpose
SQLColumnPrivilegesYesYesODBCReturns a list of columns and associated privileges for one or more tables.
SQLColumnsYesYesX/OpenReturns the list of column names in specified tables.
SQLForeignKeysYesYesODBCReturns a list of column names that make up foreign keys, if they exist for a specified table.
SQLPrimaryKeysYesYesODBCReturns the list of column names that make up the primary key for a table.
SQLSpecialColumnsYesYesX/OpenReturns information about the optimal set of columns that uniquely identifies a row in a specified table, or the columns that are automatically updated when any value in the row is updated by a transaction.
SQLStatisticsYesYesISO 92Returns statistics about a single table and the list of indexes associated with the table.
SQLTablePrivilegesYesYesODBCReturns a list of tables and the privileges associated with each table.
SQLTablesYesYesX/OpenReturns the list of table names stored in a specific data source.

Performing transactions:

 MyODBC  
Function name2.503.51StandardPurpose
SQLTransactYesYesDeprecatedCommits or rolls back a transaction
SQLEndTranNoYesISO 92Commits or rolls back a transaction.

Terminating a statement:

 MyODBC  
Function name2.503.51StandardPurpose
SQLFreeStmtYesYesISO 92Ends statement processing, discards pending results, and, optionally, frees all resources associated with the statement handle.
SQLCloseCursorYesYesISO 92Closes a cursor that has been opened on a statement handle.
SQLCancelYesYesISO 92Cancels an SQL statement.

Terminating a connection:

 MyODBC  
Function name2.503.51StandardPurpose
SQLDisconnectYesYesISO 92Closes the connection.
SQLFreeHandleNoYesISO 92Releases an environment, connection, statement, or descriptor handle.
SQLFreeConnectYesYesDeprecatedReleases connection handle
SQLFreeEnvYesYesDeprecatedReleases an environment handle

23.1.5.2. MyODBC Data Types

The following table illustrates how driver maps the server data types to default SQL and C data types:

Native ValueSQL TypeC Type
bitSQL_BITSQL_C_BIT
tinyintSQL_TINYINTSQL_C_STINYINT
tinyint unsignedSQL_TINYINTSQL_C_UTINYINT
bigintSQL_BIGINTSQL_C_SBIGINT
bigint unsignedSQL_BIGINTSQL_C_UBIGINT
long varbinarySQL_LONGVARBINARYSQL_C_BINARY
blobSQL_LONGVARBINARYSQL_C_BINARY
longblobSQL_LONGVARBINARYSQL_C_BINARY
tinyblobSQL_LONGVARBINARYSQL_C_BINARY
mediumblobSQL_LONGVARBINARYSQL_C_BINARY
long varcharSQL_LONGVARCHARSQL_C_CHAR
textSQL_LONGVARCHARSQL_C_CHAR
mediumtextSQL_LONGVARCHARSQL_C_CHAR
charSQL_CHARSQL_C_CHAR
numericSQL_NUMERICSQL_C_CHAR
decimalSQL_DECIMALSQL_C_CHAR
integerSQL_INTEGERSQL_C_SLONG
integer unsignedSQL_INTEGERSQL_C_ULONG
intSQL_INTEGERSQL_C_SLONG
int unsignedSQL_INTEGERSQL_C_ULONG
mediumintSQL_INTEGERSQL_C_SLONG
mediumint unsignedSQL_INTEGERSQL_C_ULONG
smallintSQL_SMALLINTSQL_C_SSHORT
smallint unsignedSQL_SMALLINTSQL_C_USHORT
realSQL_FLOATSQL_C_DOUBLE
doubleSQL_FLOATSQL_C_DOUBLE
floatSQL_REALSQL_C_FLOAT
double precisionSQL_DOUBLESQL_C_DOUBLE
dateSQL_DATESQL_C_DATE
timeSQL_TIMESQL_C_TIME
yearSQL_SMALLINTSQL_C_SHORT
datetimeSQL_TIMESTAMPSQL_C_TIMESTAMP
timestampSQL_TIMESTAMPSQL_C_TIMESTAMP
textSQL_VARCHARSQL_C_CHAR
varcharSQL_VARCHARSQL_C_CHAR
enumSQL_VARCHARSQL_C_CHAR
setSQL_VARCHARSQL_C_CHAR
bitSQL_CHARSQL_C_CHAR
boolSQL_CHARSQL_C_CHAR

23.1.5.3. MyODBC Error Codes

The following tables lists the error codes returned by the driver apart from the server errors.

Native CodeSQLSTATE 2SQLSTATE 3Error Message
5000100001000General warning
5010100401004String data, right truncated
50201S0201S02Option value changed
50301S0301S03No rows updated/deleted
50401S0401S04More than one row updated/deleted
50501S0601S06Attempt to fetch before the result set returned the first row set
5060700107002SQLBindParameter not used for all parameters
5070700507005Prepared statement not a cursor-specification
5080700907009Invalid descriptor index
5090800208002Connection name in use
5100800308003Connection does not exist
5112400024000Invalid cursor state
5122500025000Invalid transaction state
51325S0125S01Transaction state unknown
5143400034000Invalid cursor name
515S1000HY000General driver defined error
516S1001HY001Memory allocation error
517S1002HY002Invalid column number
518S1003HY003Invalid application buffer type
519S1004HY004Invalid SQL data type
520S1009HY009Invalid use of null pointer
521S1010HY010Function sequence error
522S1011HY011Attribute can not be set now
523S1012HY012Invalid transaction operation code
524S1013HY013Memory management error
525S1015HY015No cursor name available
526S1024HY024Invalid attribute value
527S1090HY090Invalid string or buffer length
528S1091HY091Invalid descriptor field identifier
529S1092HY092Invalid attribute/option identifier
530S1093HY093Invalid parameter number
531S1095HY095Function type out of range
532S1106HY106Fetch type out of range
533S1117HY117Row value out of range
534S1109HY109Invalid cursor position
535S1C00HYC00Optional feature not implemented
021S0121S01Column count does not match value count
02300023000Integrity constraint violation
04200042000Syntax error or access violation
042S0242S02Base table or view not found
042S1242S12Index not found
042S2142S21Column already exists
042S2242S22Column not found
008S0108S01Communication link failure

23.1.6. MyODBC Notes and Tips

Here are some common notes and tips for using MyODBC within different environments, applications and tools. The notes provided here are based on the experiences of MyODBC developers and users.

23.1.6.1. MyODBC General Functionality

This section provides help with common queries and areas of functionality in MySQL and how to use them with MyODBC.

23.1.6.1.1. Obtaining Auto-Increment Values

Obtaining the value of column that uses AUTO_INCREMENT after an INSERT statement can be achieved in a number of different ways. To obtain the value immediately after an INSERT, use a SELECT query with the LAST_INSERT_ID() function.

For example, using MyODBC you would execute two separate statements, the INSERT statement and the SELECT query to obtain the auto-increment value.

INSERT INTO tbl (auto,text) VALUES(NULL,'text');
SELECT LAST_INSERT_ID();

If you do not require the value within your application, but do require the value as part of another INSERT, the entire process can be handled by executing the following statements:

INSERT INTO tbl (auto,text) VALUES(NULL,'text');
INSERT INTO tbl2 (id,text) VALUES(LAST_INSERT_ID(),'text');

Certain ODBC applications (including Delphi and Access) may have trouble obtaining the auto-increment value using the previous examples. In this case, try the following statement as an alternative:

SELECT * FROM tbl WHERE auto IS NULL;

See Section 22.2.13.3, “How to Get the Unique ID for the Last Inserted Row”.

23.1.6.1.2. Dynamic Cursor Support

Support for the dynamic cursor is provided in MyODBC 3.51, but dynamic cursors are not enabled by default. You can enable this function within Windows by selecting the Enable Dynamic Cursor checkbox within the ODBC Data Source Administrator.

On other platforms, you can enable the dynamic cursor by adding 32 to the OPTION value when creating the DSN.

23.1.6.1.3. MyODBC Performance

The MyODBC driver has been optimized to provide very fast performance. If you experience problems with the performance of MyODBC, or notice a large amount of disk activity for simple queries, there are a number of aspects you should check:

  • Ensure that ODBC Tracing is not enabled. With tracing enabled, a lot of information is recorded in the tracing file by the ODBC Manager. You can check, and disable, tracing within Windows using the Tracing panel of the ODBC Data Source Administrator. Within Mac OS X, check the Tracing panel of ODBC Administrator. See Section 23.1.3.8, “Getting an ODBC Trace File”.

  • Make sure you are using the standard version of the driver, and not the debug version. The debug version includes additional checks and reporting measures.

  • Disable the MyODBC driver trace and query logs. These options are enabled for each DSN, so make sure to examine only the DSN that you are using in your application. Within Windows, you can disable the MyODBC and query logs by modifying the DSN configuration. Within Mac OS X and Unix, ensure that the driver trace (option value 4) and query logging (option value 524288) are not enabled.

23.1.6.1.4. Setting ODBC Query Timeout in Windows

For more information on how to set the query timeout on Microsoft Windows when executing queries through an ODBC connection, read the Microsoft knowledgebase document at http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb%3Ben-us%3B153756.

23.1.6.2. MyODBC Application Specific Tips

Most programs should work with MyODBC, but for each of those listed here, there are specific notes and tips to improve or enhance the way you work with MyODBC and these applications.

With all applications you should ensure that you are using the latest MyODBC drivers, ODBC Manager and any supporting libraries and interfaces used by your application. For example, on Windows, using the latest version of Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC) will improve the compatibility with ODBC in general, and with the MyODBC driver.

23.1.6.2.1. Using MyODBC with Microsoft Applications

The majority of Microsoft applications have been tested with MyODBC, including Microsoft Office, Microsoft Access and the various programming languages supported within ASP and Microsoft Visual Studio.

If you have problem with MyODBC and your program also works with OLEDB, you should try the OLEDB driver.

23.1.6.2.1.1. Microsoft Access

To improve the integration between Microsoft Access and MySQL through MyODBC:

  • For all versions of Access, you should enable the MyODBC Return matching rows option. For Access 2.0, you should additionally enable the Simulate ODBC 1.0 option.

  • You should have a TIMESTAMP column in all tables that you want to be able to update. For maximum portability, don't use a length specification in the column declaration (which is unsupported within MySQL in versions earlier than 4.1).

  • You should have a primary key in each MySQL table you want to use with Access. If not, new or updated rows may show up as #DELETED#.

  • Use only DOUBLE float fields. Access fails when comparing with single-precision floats. The symptom usually is that new or updated rows may show up as #DELETED# or that you can't find or update rows.

  • If you are using MyODBC to link to a table that has a BIGINT column, the results are displayed as #DELETED#. The work around solution is:

    • Have one more dummy column with TIMESTAMP as the data type.

    • Select the Change BIGINT columns to INT option in the connection dialog in ODBC DSN Administrator.

    • Delete the table link from Access and re-create it.

    Old records may still display as #DELETED#, but newly added/updated records are displayed properly.

  • If you still get the error Another user has changed your data after adding a TIMESTAMP column, the following trick may help you:

    Don't use a table data sheet view. Instead, create a form with the fields you want, and use that form data sheet view. You should set the DefaultValue property for the TIMESTAMP column to NOW(). It may be a good idea to hide the TIMESTAMP column from view so your users are not confused.

  • In some cases, Access may generate SQL statements that MySQL can't understand. You can fix this by selecting "Query|SQLSpecific|Pass-Through" from the Access menu.

  • On Windows NT, Access reports BLOB columns as OLE OBJECTS. If you want to have MEMO columns instead, you should change BLOB columns to TEXT with ALTER TABLE.

  • Access can't always handle the MySQL DATE column properly. If you have a problem with these, change the columns to DATETIME.

  • If you have in Access a column defined as BYTE, Access tries to export this as TINYINT instead of TINYINT UNSIGNED. This gives you problems if you have values larger than 127 in the column.

  • If you have very large (long) tables in Access, it might take a very long time to open them. Or you might run low on virtual memory and eventually get an ODBC Query Failed error and the table cannot open. To deal with this, select the following options:

    • Return Matching Rows (2)

    • Allow BIG Results (8).

    These add up to a value of 10 (OPTION=10).

Some external articles and tips that may be useful when using Access, ODBC and MyODBC:

23.1.6.2.1.2. Microsoft Excel and Column Types

If you have problems importing data into Microsoft Excel, particularly numerical, date, and time values, this is probably because of a bug in Excel, where the column type of the source data is used to determine the data type when that data is inserted into a cell within the worksheet. The result is that Excel incorrectly identifies the content and this affects both the display format and the data when it is used within calculations.

To address this issue, use the CONCAT() function in your queries. The use of CONCAT() forces Excel to treat the value as a string, which Excel will then parse and usually correctly identify the embedded information.

However, even with this option, some data may be incorrectly formatted, even though the source data remains unchanged. Use the Format Cells option within Excel to change the format of the displayed information.

23.1.6.2.1.3. Microsoft Visual Basic

To be able to update a table, you must define a primary key for the table.

Visual Basic with ADO can't handle big integers. This means that some queries like SHOW PROCESSLIST do not work properly. The fix is to use OPTION=16384 in the ODBC connect string or to select the Change BIGINT columns to INT option in the MyODBC connect screen. You may also want to select the Return matching rows option.

23.1.6.2.1.4. Microsoft Visual InterDev

If you have a BIGINT in your result, you may get the error [Microsoft][ODBC Driver Manager] Driver does not support this parameter. Try selecting the Change BIGINT columns to INT option in the MyODBC connect screen.

23.1.6.2.1.5. Visual Objects

You should select the Don't optimize column widths option.

23.1.6.2.1.6. Microsoft ADO

When you are coding with the ADO API and MyODBC, you need to pay attention to some default properties that aren't supported by the MySQL server. For example, using the CursorLocation Property as adUseServer returns a result of –1 for the RecordCount Property. To have the right value, you need to set this property to adUseClient, as shown in the VB code here:

Dim myconn As New ADODB.Connection
Dim myrs As New Recordset
Dim mySQL As String
Dim myrows As Long

myconn.Open "DSN=MyODBCsample"
mySQL = "SELECT * from user"
myrs.Source = mySQL
Set myrs.ActiveConnection = myconn
myrs.CursorLocation = adUseClient
myrs.Open
myrows = myrs.RecordCount

myrs.Close
myconn.Close

Another workaround is to use a SELECT COUNT(*) statement for a similar query to get the correct row count.

To find the number of rows affected by a specific SQL statement in ADO, use the RecordsAffected property in the ADO execute method. For more information on the usage of execute method, refer to http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/ado270/htm/mdmthcnnexecute.asp.

For information, see ActiveX Data Objects(ADO) Frequently Asked Questions.

23.1.6.2.1.7. Using MyODBC with Active Server Pages (ASP)

You should select the Return matching rows option in the DSN.

For more information about how to access MySQL via ASP using MyODBC, refer to the following articles:

A Frequently Asked Questions list for ASP can be found at http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=/Support/ActiveServer/faq/data/adofaq.asp.

23.1.6.2.1.8. Using MyODBC with Visual Basic (ADO, DAO and RDO) and ASP

Some articles that may help with Visual Basic and ASP:

23.1.6.2.2. Using MyODBC with Borland Applications

With all Borland applications where the Borland Database Engine (BDE) is used, follow these steps to improve compatibility:

  • Update to BDE 3.2 or newer.

  • Enable the Don't optimize column widths option in the DSN.

  • Enabled the Return matching rows option in the DSN.

23.1.6.2.2.1. Using MyODBC with Borland Builder 4

When you start a query, you can use the Active property or the Open method. Note that Active starts by automatically issuing a SELECT * FROM ... query. That may not be a good thing if your tables are large.

23.1.6.2.2.2. Using MyODBC with Delphi

Also, here is some potentially useful Delphi code that sets up both an ODBC entry and a BDE entry for MyODBC. The BDE entry requires a BDE Alias Editor that is free at a Delphi Super Page near you. (Thanks to Bryan Brunton for this):

fReg:= TRegistry.Create;
fReg.OpenKey('\Software\ODBC\ODBC.INI\DocumentsFab', True);
fReg.WriteString('Database', 'Documents');
fReg.WriteString('Description', ' ');
fReg.WriteString('Driver', 'C:\WINNT\System32\myodbc.dll');
fReg.WriteString('Flag', '1');
fReg.WriteString('Password', '');
fReg.WriteString('Port', ' ');
fReg.WriteString('Server', 'xmark');
fReg.WriteString('User', 'winuser');
fReg.OpenKey('\Software\ODBC\ODBC.INI\ODBC Data Sources', True);
fReg.WriteString('DocumentsFab', 'MySQL');
fReg.CloseKey;
fReg.Free;

Memo1.Lines.Add('DATABASE NAME=');
Memo1.Lines.Add('USER NAME=');
Memo1.Lines.Add('ODBC DSN=DocumentsFab');
Memo1.Lines.Add('OPEN MODE=READ/WRITE');
Memo1.Lines.Add('BATCH COUNT=200');
Memo1.Lines.Add('LANGDRIVER=');
Memo1.Lines.Add('MAX ROWS=-1');
Memo1.Lines.Add('SCHEMA CACHE DIR=');
Memo1.Lines.Add('SCHEMA CACHE SIZE=8');
Memo1.Lines.Add('SCHEMA CACHE TIME=-1');
Memo1.Lines.Add('SQLPASSTHRU MODE=SHARED AUTOCOMMIT');
Memo1.Lines.Add('SQLQRYMODE=');
Memo1.Lines.Add('ENABLE SCHEMA CACHE=FALSE');
Memo1.Lines.Add('ENABLE BCD=FALSE');
Memo1.Lines.Add('ROWSET SIZE=20');
Memo1.Lines.Add('BLOBS TO CACHE=64');
Memo1.Lines.Add('BLOB SIZE=32');

AliasEditor.Add('DocumentsFab','MySQL',Memo1.Lines);
23.1.6.2.2.3. Using MyODBC with C++ Builder

Tested with BDE 3.0. The only known problem is that when the table schema changes, query fields are not updated. BDE, however, does not seem to recognize primary keys, only the index named PRIMARY, although this has not been a problem.

23.1.6.2.3. Using MyODBC with ColdFusion

The following information is taken from the ColdFusion documentation:

Use the following information to configure ColdFusion Server for Linux to use the unixODBC driver with MyODBC for MySQL data sources. Allaire has verified that MyODBC 2.50.26 works with MySQL 3.22.27 and ColdFusion for Linux. (Any newer version should also work.) You can download MyODBC at http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/connector/odbc/.

ColdFusion version 4.5.1 allows you to us the ColdFusion Administrator to add the MySQL data source. However, the driver is not included with ColdFusion version 4.5.1. Before the MySQL driver appears in the ODBC data sources drop-down list, you must build and copy the MyODBC driver to /opt/coldfusion/lib/libmyodbc.so.

The Contrib directory contains the program mydsn-xxx.zip which allows you to build and remove the DSN registry file for the MyODBC driver on ColdFusion applications.

For more information and guides on using ColdFusion and MyODBC, see the following external sites:

23.1.6.2.4. Using MyODBC with OpenOffice

Open Office (http://www.openoffice.org) How-to: MySQL + OpenOffice. How-to: OpenOffice + MyODBC + unixODBC.

23.1.6.2.5. Using MyODBC with Sambar Server

Sambar Server (http://www.sambarserver.info) How-to: MyODBC + SambarServer + MySQL.

23.1.6.2.6. Using MyODBC with Pervasive Software DataJunction

You have to change it to output VARCHAR rather than ENUM, as it exports the latter in a manner that causes MySQL problems.

23.1.6.2.7. Using MyODBC with SunSystems Vision

You should select the Return matching rows option.

23.1.6.3. MyODBC Errors and Resolutions

The following section details some common errors and their suggested fix or alternative solution. If you are still experiencing problems, use the MyODBC mailing list; see Section 23.1.7.1, “MyODBC Community Support”.

Many problems can be resolved by upgrading your MyODBC drivers to the latest available release. On Windows, you should also make sure that you have the latest versions of the Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC) installed.

24.1.6.3.1:

Question:

Are MyODBC 2.50 applications compatible with MyODBC 3.51?

Answer:

Applications based on MyODBC 2.50 should work fine with MyODBC 3.51 and later versions. If you find something is not working with the latest version of MyODBC which previously worked under an earlier version, please file a bug report. See Section 23.1.7.2, “How to Report MyODBC Problems or Bugs”.

24.1.6.3.2:

Question:

I have installed MyODBC on Windows XP x64 Edition or Windows Server 2003 R2 x64. The installation completed successfully, but the MyODBC driver does not appear in ODBC Data Source Administrator.

Answer:

This is not a bug, but is related to the way Windows x64 editions operate with the ODBC driver. On Windows x64 editions, the MyODBC driver is installed in the %SystemRoot%\SysWOW64 folder. However, the default ODBC Data Source Administrator that is available through the Administrative Tools or Control Panel in Windows x64 Editions is located in the %SystemRoot%\system32 folder, and only searches this folder for ODBC drivers.

On Windowx x64 editions, you should use the ODBC administration tool located at %SystemRoot%\SysWOW64\odbcad32.exe, this will correctly locate the installed MyODBC drivers and enable you to create a MyODBC DSN.

This issue was originally reported as Bug #20301.

24.1.6.3.3:

Question:

When connecting or using the Test button in ODBC Data Source Administrator I get error 10061 (Cannot connect to server)

Answer:

This error can be raised by a number of different issues, including server problems, network problems, and firewall and port blocking problems. For more information, see Section A.2.2, “Can't connect to [local] MySQL server.

24.1.6.3.4:

Question:

The following error is reported when using transactions: Transactions are not enabled

Answer:

This error indicates that you are trying to use transactions with a MySQL table that does not support transactions. Transactions are supported within MySQL when using the InnoDB and BDB database engines.

You should check the following before continuing:

  • Verify that your MySQL server supports a transactional database engine. Use SHOW ENGINES to obtain a list of the available engine types.

  • Verify that the tables you are updating use a transaction database engine.

  • Ensure that you have not enabled the disable transactions option in your DSN.

24.1.6.3.5:

Question:

The following error is reported when I submit a query: Cursor not found

Answer:

This occurs because the application is using the old MyODBC 2.50 version, and it did not set the cursor name explicitly through SQLSetCursorName. The fix is to upgrade to MyODBC 3.51 version.

24.1.6.3.6:

Question:

Access reports records as #DELETED# when inserting or updating records in linked tables.

Answer:

If the inserted or updated records are shown as #DELETED# in the access, then:

  • If you are using Access 2000, you should get and install the newest (version 2.6 or higher) Microsoft MDAC (Microsoft Data Access Components) from http://www.microsoft.com/data/. This fixes a bug in Access that when you export data to MySQL, the table and column names aren't specified. Another way to work around this bug is to upgrade to MyODBC 2.50.33 or higher and MySQL 3.23.x or higher, which together provide a workaround for the problem.

    You should also get and apply the Microsoft Jet 4.0 Service Pack 5 (SP5) which can be found at http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q239114. This fixes some cases where columns are marked as #DELETED# in Access.

    Note: If you are using MySQL 3.22, you must apply the MDAC patch and use MyODBC 2.50.32 or 2.50.34 and up to work around this problem.

  • For all versions of Access, you should enable the MyODBC Return matching rows option. For Access 2.0, you should additionally enable the Simulate ODBC 1.0 option.

  • You should have a timestamp in all tables that you want to be able to update..

  • You should have a primary key in the table. If not, new or updated rows may show up as #DELETED#.

  • Use only DOUBLE float fields. Access fails when comparing with single-precision floats. The symptom usually is that new or updated rows may show up as #DELETED# or that you can't find or update rows.

  • If you are using MyODBC to link to a table that has a BIGINT column, the results are displayed as #DELETED. The work around solution is:

    • Have one more dummy column with TIMESTAMP as the data type.

    • Select the Change BIGINT columns to INT option in the connection dialog in ODBC DSN Administrator.

    • Delete the table link from Access and re-create it.

    Old records still display as #DELETED#, but newly added/updated records are displayed properly.

24.1.6.3.7:

Question:

How do I handle Write Conflicts or Row Location errors?

Answer:

If you see the following errors, select the Return Matching Rows option in the DSN configuration dialog, or specify OPTION=2, as the connection parameter:

Write Conflict. Another user has changed your data.

Row cannot be located for updating. Some values may have been changed
since it was last read.

24.1.6.3.8:

Question:

Exporting data from Access 97 to MySQL reports a Syntax Error.

Answer:

This error is specific to Access 97 and versions of MyODBC earlier than 3.51.02. Update to the latest version of the MyODBC driver to resolve this problem.

24.1.6.3.9:

Question:

Exporting data from Microsoft DTS to MySQL reports a Syntax Error.

Answer:

This error occurs only with MySQL tables using the TEXT or VARCHAR data types. You can fix this error by upgrading your MyODBC driver to version 3.51.02 or higher.

24.1.6.3.10:

Question:

Using ODBC.NET with MyODBC, while fetching empty string (0 length), it starts giving the SQL_NO_DATA exception.

Answer:

You can get the patch that addresses this problem from http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q319243.

24.1.6.3.11:

Question:

Using SELECT COUNT(*) FROM tbl_name within Visual Basic and ASP returns an error.

Answer:

This error occurs because the COUNT(*) expression is returning a BIGINT, and ADO can't make sense of a number this big. Select the Change BIGINT columns to INT option (option value 16384).

24.1.6.3.12:

Question:

Using the AppendChunk() or GetChunk() ADO methods, the Multiple-step operation generated errors. Check each status value error is returned.

Answer:

The GetChunk() and AppendChunk() methods from ADO doesn't work as expected when the cursor location is specified as adUseServer. On the other hand, you can overcome this error by using adUseClient.

A simple example can be found from http://www.dwam.net/iishelp/ado/docs/adomth02_4.htm

24.1.6.3.13:

Question:

Access Returns Another user had modified the record that you have modified while editing records on a Linked Table.

Answer:

In most cases, this can be solved by doing one of the following things:

  • Add a primary key for the table if one doesn't exist.

  • Add a timestamp column if one doesn't exist.

  • Only use double-precision float fields. Some programs may fail when they compare single-precision floats.

If these strategies don't help, you should start by making a log file from the ODBC manager (the log you get when requesting logs from ODBCADMIN) and a MyODBC log to help you figure out why things go wrong. For instructions, see Section 23.1.3.8, “Getting an ODBC Trace File”.

23.1.7. MyODBC Support

There are many different places where you can get support for using MyODBC. You should always try the MyODBC Mailing List or MyODBC Forum. See Section 23.1.7.1, “MyODBC Community Support”, for help before reporting a specific bug or issue to MySQL.

23.1.7.1. MyODBC Community Support

MySQL AB provides assistance to the user community by means of its mailing lists. For MyODBC-related issues, you can get help from experienced users by using the mailing list. Archives are available online at http://lists.mysql.com/myodbc.

For information about subscribing to MySQL mailing lists or to browse list archives, visit http://lists.mysql.com/. See Section 1.7.1, “MySQL Mailing Lists”.

Community support from experienced users is also available through the MyODBC Forum. You may also find help from other users in the other MySQL Forums, located at http://forums.mysql.com. See Section 1.7.2, “MySQL Community Support at the MySQL Forums”.

23.1.7.2. How to Report MyODBC Problems or Bugs

If you encounter difficulties or problems with MyODBC, you should start by making a log file from the ODBC Manager (the log you get when requesting logs from ODBC ADMIN) and MyODBC. The procedure for doing this is described in Section 23.1.3.8, “Getting an ODBC Trace File”.

Check the MyODBC trace file to find out what could be wrong. You should be able to determine what statements were issued by searching for the string >mysql_real_query in the myodbc.log file.

You should also try issuing the statements from the mysql client program or from admndemo. This helps you determine whether the error is in MyODBC or MySQL.

If you find out something is wrong, please only send the relevant rows (maximum 40 rows) to the myodbc mailing list. See Section 1.7.1, “MySQL Mailing Lists”. Please never send the whole MyODBC or ODBC log file!

You should ideally include the following information with the email:

  • Operating system and version

  • MyODBC version

  • ODBC Driver Manager type and version

  • MySQL server version

  • ODBC trace from Driver Manager

  • MyODBC log file from MyODBC driver

  • Simple reproducible sample

Remember that the more information you can supply to us, the more likely it is that we can fix the problem!

Also, before posting the bug, check the MyODBC mailing list archive at http://lists.mysql.com/myodbc.

If you are unable to find out what's wrong, the last option is to create an archive in tar or Zip format that contains a MyODBC trace file, the ODBC log file, and a README file that explains the problem. You can send this to ftp://ftp.mysql.com/pub/mysql/upload/. Only MySQL engineers have access to the files you upload, and we are very discreet with the data.

If you can create a program that also demonstrates the problem, please include it in the archive as well.

If the program works with another SQL server, you should include an ODBC log file where you perform exactly the same SQL statements so that we can compare the results between the two systems.

Remember that the more information you can supply to us, the more likely it is that we can fix the problem.

23.1.7.3. How to Submit a MyODBC Patch

You can send a patch or suggest a better solution for any existing code or problems by sending a mail message to .

23.1.7.4. MyODBC Change History

The MyODBC Change History (Changelog) is located with the main Changelog for MySQL. See Section D.3, “MySQL Connector/ODBC (MyODBC) Change History”.

23.1.7.5. Credits

These are the developers that have worked on the MyODBC and MyODBC 3.51 Drivers from MySQL AB.

  • Michael (Monty) Widenius

  • Venu Anuganti

  • Peter Harvey