# How to connect to Mysql & Query for Database Tables

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-connect-to-mysql-query-for-database-tables/182375>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [January 27, 2010, 6:37am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-connect-to-mysql-query-for-database-tables/182375 "2010-01-27T06:37:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![rubist](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/c67d28/32.png) [@rubist](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/rubist)\
**Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 6:37am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-connect-to-mysql-query-for-database-tables/182375/1 "2010-01-27T06:37:11Z")

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Hi Guys,  
Ruby imposes several way of connecting to Mysql (DBI,activerecord…)  
Database using ruby code. Let me know if anybody knows how to connect to  
mysql the easiest way.  
I am getting all sorts of error trying to connect to mysql. I am using  
Windows XP OS.  
Hope to hear from you guys soon!!

Cheers

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**Author:** ![rubist](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/c67d28/32.png) [@rubist](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/rubist)\
**Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 6:45am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-connect-to-mysql-query-for-database-tables/182375/2 "2010-01-27T06:45:17Z")

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> Hi Guys,  
> Ruby imposes several way of connecting to Mysql (DBI,activerecord…)  
> Database using ruby code. Let me know if anybody knows how to connect to  
> mysql the easiest way.

DBI is generally an easy way.  
[http://www.kitebird.com/articles/ruby-dbi.html](http://www.kitebird.com/articles/ruby-dbi.html)

You have to  
gem install mysql  
gem install dbd-mysql  
gem install dbi  
before using it.

HTH.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![rubist](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/c67d28/32.png) [@rubist](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/rubist)\
**Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 6:51am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-connect-to-mysql-query-for-database-tables/182375/3 "2010-01-27T06:51:01Z")

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Jeff P. wrote:

> > Hi Guys,  
> > Ruby imposes several way of connecting to Mysql (DBI,activerecord…)  
> > Database using ruby code. Let me know if anybody knows how to connect to  
> > mysql the easiest way.
> 
> DBI is generally an easy way.  
> [http://www.kitebird.com/articles/ruby-dbi.html](http://www.kitebird.com/articles/ruby-dbi.html)
> 
> You have to  
> gem install mysql  
> gem install dbd-mysql  
> gem install dbi  
> before using it.
> 
> HTH.

Hi,

On Trying, " gem install mysql " , i get the following error:

C:\Documents and Settings\user1\Desktop\>gem install mysql  
Building native extensions. This could take a while…  
ERROR: Error installing mysql:  
ERROR: Failed to build gem native extension.

D:/Softwares/ruby/bin/ruby.exe extconf.rb  
checking for main() in libmysql.lib… no  
\*\*\* extconf.rb failed \*\*\*  
Could not create Makefile due to some reason, probably lack of  
necessary libraries and/or headers. Check the mkmf.log file for mo  
details.

Thanks

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![rubist](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/c67d28/32.png) [@rubist](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/rubist)\
**Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 7:06am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-connect-to-mysql-query-for-database-tables/182375/4 "2010-01-27T07:06:22Z")

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> Could not create Makefile due to some reason, probably lack of  
> necessary libraries and/or headers. Check the mkmf.log file for mo  
> details.

Well, you have to install mysql client before all the operation.  
There have to be:

/usr/lib/libmysqlclient.a  
/usr/lib/libmysqlclient.so

in my Linux OS.

Jeff.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![rubist](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/c67d28/32.png) [@rubist](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/rubist)\
**Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 9:17pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-connect-to-mysql-query-for-database-tables/182375/5 "2010-01-27T21:17:15Z")

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Idealone I. wrote:

> Hi Guys,  
> Ruby imposes several way[s] of […] using ruby code.

That’s certainly an interesting observation.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![rubist](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/c67d28/32.png) [@rubist](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/rubist)\
**Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 1:05pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-connect-to-mysql-query-for-database-tables/182375/6 "2010-01-28T13:05:39Z")

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Albert S. wrote:

> Idealone I. wrote:
> 
> > Hi Guys,  
> > Ruby imposes several way[s] of […] using ruby code.
> 
> That’s certainly an interesting observation.

Guys,  
I eventually got it working, just adding gem ‘dbi’…

require “rubygems”  
gem “dbi”  
require “dbi”

def connect\_to\_mysql()  
puts “\nConnecting to MySQL…”  
me = DBI.connect(“dbi:Mysql:DBname:localhost”, “root”, “”)  
query = me.prepare(“SELECT \* FROM browsers where id \> ?”)  
query.execute(0)  
while row = query.fetch() do  
puts row  
end

Thanks