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20.5.3. MySQL Connector/C FAQ

Questions

  • 20.5.3.1: What is “libmysqld”?

  • 20.5.3.2: What is “libmysql”?

  • 20.5.3.3: Does MySQL Connector/C replace any of “Native C API”, “libmysql” and “libmysqld”?

  • 20.5.3.4: What is the difference between “Native C API”, “libmysql”, “libmysqld” and “MySQL Connector/C”?

  • 20.5.3.5: What is “MySQL Connector/C”?

  • 20.5.3.6: What is the “MySQL Native C API”? What are its typical benefits and use cases?

Questions and Answers

20.5.3.1: What is “libmysqld”?

libmysqld is an embedded database server with the same API as MySQL Connector/C. It is included with the MySQL Server distribution.

20.5.3.2: What is “libmysql”?

libmysql is the name of the library that MySQL Connector/C provides.

20.5.3.3: Does MySQL Connector/C replace any of “Native C API”, “libmysql” and “libmysqld”?

MySQL Connector/C contains libmysql, and implements a native C API. It does not include libmysqld, which can be found with the MySQL server distribution.

20.5.3.4: What is the difference between “Native C API”, “libmysql”, “libmysqld” and “MySQL Connector/C”?

MySQL Connector/C and libmysql are the “native C API for MySQL”, and all three terms can be used interchangeably. “libmysqld” is the embedded version of the MySQL Server, and is included in the server distribution.

20.5.3.5: What is “MySQL Connector/C”?

MySQL Connector/C is a standalone distribution of the libmysql library, which was previously only available as part of the MySQL Server distribution. The version of libmysql included with MySQL Connector/C and the version bundled with the server are functionally equivalent, but the cross-platform build system for MySQL Connector/C uses CMake.

20.5.3.6: What is the “MySQL Native C API”? What are its typical benefits and use cases?

MySQL Connector/C, also known as libmysql, or MySQL Native C API, is a standalone, C-based API and library that you can use in C applications to connect with the MySQL Server. It implements the same MySQL client API that has been in use for a decade.

It is also used as the foundation for drivers for standard database APIs such as ODBC, Perl's DBI, and Python's DB API.