Chapter 5 Building Connector/C++ Windows Applications with Microsoft Visual Studio

Select File, New, Project from the main menu.

Figure 5.1 Creating a New Project

In the wizard, select Visual C++, Win32. From Visual Studio Installed Templates, select the application type Win32 Console Application. Enter a name for the application, then click OK, to move to the Win32 Application Wizard.

Figure 5.2 The New Project Dialog Box

In the Win32 Application Wizard, click Application Settings and ensure the defaults are selected. The radio button Console application and the check box Precompiled headers are selected. Click Finish to close the wizard.

Figure 5.3 The Win32 Application Wizard

From the drop down list box on the toolbar, change from the default Debug build to the Release build.

Figure 5.4 Selecting the Release Build

From the main menu select Project, Properties. This can also be accessed using the hot key ALT + F7.

Figure 5.5 Selecting Project Properties from the Main Menu

Under Configuration Properties, open the tree view.

Select C++, General in the tree view.

Figure 5.6 Setting Properties

Ensure that Visual Studio can find the MySQL include directory. This directory includes header files that can optionally be installed when installing MySQL Server.

Figure 5.7 MySQL Include Directory

In the Additional Include Directories text field, add the MySQL include/ directory.

Figure 5.8 Select Directory Dialog

Also set the location of additional libraries that Visual Studio needs to build the application. These are located in the MySQL lib/opt directory, a subdirectory of the MySQL Server installation directory.

Figure 5.9 Typical Contents of MySQL lib/opt Directory

In the tree view, open Linker, General, Additional Library Directories.

Figure 5.10 Additional Library Directories

Add the lib/opt directory into the Additional Library Directories text field. This enables the library file libmysql.lib to be found.

Figure 5.11 Additional Library Directories Dialog

Open Linker, Input, Additional Dependencies.

Figure 5.12 Additional Dependencies

Enter mysqlcppconn-static.lib and libmysql.lib.

Figure 5.13 Adding Additional Dependencies

By default CPPCONN_PUBLIC_FUNC is defined to declare functions to be compatible with an application that calls a DLL. If you are building an application to call the static library, ensure that function prototypes are compatible with this. In this case, define CPPCONN_PUBLIC_FUNC to be an empty string, so that functions are declared with the correct prototype.

In the Project, Properties tree view, under C++, Preprocessor, enter CPPCONN_PUBLIC_FUNC= into the Preprocessor Definitions text field.

Figure 5.14 Setting the CPPCONN_PUBLIC_FUNC Define

Under Linker, Input, add mysqlcppconn.lib into the Additional Dependencies text field.

mysqlcppconn.dll must be in the same directory as the application executable, or somewhere on the system's path, so that the application can access the Connector/C++ Dynamic Linked Library at runtime.

Copy mysqlcppconn.dll to the same directory as the application. Alternatively, extend the PATH environment variable using SET PATH=%PATH%;C:\path\to\cpp. Alternatively, you can copy mysqlcppconn.dll to the Windows installation Directory, typically c:\windows.