# Very basic question | Ruby + MySql **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [May 5, 2008, 9:41am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/very-basic-question-ruby-mysql/136657 "2008-05-05T09:41:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Csongor](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/ba8739/32.png) [@Csongor](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Csongor)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 9:41am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/very-basic-question-ruby-mysql/136657/1 "2008-05-05T09:41:07Z")
I’m sorry to ask such a newbie question but I wasn’t able to figure this out yet. I just want to write a simple Ruby program that can select data from a MySql database. I assume that Ruby DBI would be the easiest way to go but I don’t think I have the required modules/gems installed. I can’t even do a require ‘dbi’, it throws the following error: LoadError: no such file to load – dbi I found a few tutorial pages but they don’t give all the steps. These are the pages I used as reference: [http://www.tmtm.org/en/ruby/mysql/](http://www.tmtm.org/en/ruby/mysql/) [http://www.kitebird.com/articles/ruby-mysql.html](http://www.kitebird.com/articles/ruby-mysql.html) Basically I am looking for the step-by-step instructions on how to run a query on a MySql DB using a Ruby program from thin air. My system is a Mac OSX Leopard with ruby 1.8.6 (2007-09-24 patchlevel 111) [universal-darwin9.0]. Can someone kindly give me the exact steps (from installing the modules to using Ruby DBI) to run the simplest possible select query form MySql DB? Again, sorry for the newbie question. ---
**Author:** ![Csongor](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/ba8739/32.png) [@Csongor](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Csongor)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 9:45am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/very-basic-question-ruby-mysql/136657/2 "2008-05-05T09:45:48Z")
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 Csongor wrote: | I’m sorry to ask such a newbie question but I wasn’t able to figure | this out yet. I just want to write a simple Ruby program that can | select data from a MySql database. I assume that Ruby DBI would be the | easiest way to go but I don’t think I have the required modules/gems | installed. I can’t even do a require ‘dbi’, it throws the following | error: LoadError: no such file to load – dbi are you using require ‘rubygems’ on the top of your script (before you load DBI)? If not, try that. (‘export RUUBYOPTS=rubygems’ should fix that permanently, I think) * * * Phillip G. Twitter: [twitter.com/cynicalryan](http://twitter.com/cynicalryan) Blog: [http://justarubyist.blogspot.com](http://justarubyist.blogspot.com) ~ - You know you’ve been hacking too long when… …your radio is playing, and you’re starting a big compile on your home box, and it occurs to you that the music will begin to get a bit jerky, because you think it’s playing through the computer and you’re not quite sure how well it’ll multitask with the compile. -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.8 (MingW32) Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - [http://enigmail.mozdev.org](http://enigmail.mozdev.org) iEYEARECAAYFAkgeuvMACgkQbtAgaoJTgL/pSgCfYwR/Gvxe1/7hmPkOoxYflxoZ TeUAoIgALUM/bpUPn5Da5nQyHP6fZILy =IgRK -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- ---
**Author:** ![Csongor](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/ba8739/32.png) [@Csongor](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Csongor)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 9:54am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/very-basic-question-ruby-mysql/136657/3 "2008-05-05T09:54:41Z")
Hey, Well there may be a couple of reons involved why you are getting the error. Please check with your installtion of ruby gems. Once your done check wether ‘gem’ command is working or not in your terminal. If something goes wrong with the installtion then you can make it with up the dependencies. once you are done with the process…In your irb please check with the ‘require dbi’ .If it returns true then you are ready to go ahead with the mysql. cheers, kranthi On Mon, May 5, 2008 at 1:15 PM, Phillip G. \< ---
**Author:** ![Csongor](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/ba8739/32.png) [@Csongor](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Csongor)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2008, 7:21am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/very-basic-question-ruby-mysql/136657/4 "2008-05-06T07:21:16Z")
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 Csongor wrote: | Philip, | | Thanks for the response. I wasn’t, but I just did a quick test and | require ‘rubygems’ is giving me a false. Look: | | sh-3.2# ruby -v | ruby 1.8.6 (2007-09-24 patchlevel 111) [universal-darwin9.0] | sh-3.2# gem -v | 1.1.1 | sh-3.2# irb |\>\> require ‘rubygems’ | =\> false | | Any ideas? Well, it looks like you didn’t install Ruby-DBI, since ‘dbi’ is what you need for the require. Fortunately, the RDoc files for Ruby-DBI show you the installation: [http://ruby-dbi.rubyforge.org/rdoc/index.html](http://ruby-dbi.rubyforge.org/rdoc/index.html) * * * Phillip G. Twitter: [twitter.com/cynicalryan](http://twitter.com/cynicalryan) Blog: [http://justarubyist.blogspot.com](http://justarubyist.blogspot.com) ~ - You know you’ve been hacking too long when… …you start dreaming code. -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.8 (MingW32) Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - [http://enigmail.mozdev.org](http://enigmail.mozdev.org) iEYEARECAAYFAkgf6qUACgkQbtAgaoJTgL/25QCfWmCWsHysuQJHbNm/TpmULEVt legAn0wn6R+ClVOySgQyHouH09O0HJT9 =A49m -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- ---
**Author:** ![Csongor](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/ba8739/32.png) [@Csongor](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Csongor)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 10:36pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/very-basic-question-ruby-mysql/136657/5 "2008-05-05T22:36:03Z")
Philip, Thanks for the response. I wasn’t, but I just did a quick test and require ‘rubygems’ is giving me a false. Look: sh-3.2# ruby -v ruby 1.8.6 (2007-09-24 patchlevel 111) [universal-darwin9.0] sh-3.2# gem -v 1.1.1 sh-3.2# irb > > require ‘rubygems’ > > =\> false Any ideas? On May 5, 12:45 am, Phillip G. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) ---
**Author:** ![Csongor](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/ba8739/32.png) [@Csongor](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Csongor)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2008, 10:31am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/very-basic-question-ruby-mysql/136657/6 "2008-05-06T10:31:10Z")
Yeah I tried to instal dbi but this is what I get: csongors-mac:dbi-0.2.0 csgyuricza$ ruby setup.rb config entering config phase… config done. csongors-mac:dbi-0.2.0 csgyuricza$ ruby setup.rb setup entering setup phase… setting #! line to “#!/System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/ Versions/1.8/usr/bin/ruby” setting #! line to “#!/System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/ Versions/1.8/usr/bin/ruby” /System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/1.8/usr/bin/ruby extconf.rb can’t find header files for ruby. setup failed ‘system /System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/1.8/usr/bin/ ruby extconf.rb’ failed try “ruby setup.rb --help” for usage csongors-mac:dbi-0.2.0 csgyuricza$ sudo ruby setup.rb setup Password: entering setup phase… setting #! line to “#!/System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/ Versions/1.8/usr/bin/ruby” setting #! line to “#!/System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/ Versions/1.8/usr/bin/ruby” /System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/1.8/usr/bin/ruby extconf.rb can’t find header files for ruby. setup failed ‘system /System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/1.8/usr/bin/ ruby extconf.rb’ failed try “ruby setup.rb --help” for usage On May 5, 10:20 pm, Phillip G. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) ---
**Author:** ![Csongor](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/ba8739/32.png) [@Csongor](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Csongor)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2008, 8:29am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/very-basic-question-ruby-mysql/136657/7 "2008-05-06T08:29:59Z")
Hi CSongor, Try this. I am working windows here.I think it will work in Mac also… TRY.rb * * * =begin OS : Windows here (May be same MAC OSx) Ruby : 1.8.6 DB :Mysql Gem :\> gem install mysql =end require “mysql” #require mysql gem connection = Mysql.connect(“localhost”, “root”, “”, “cdcol”) #localhost = hostname #root = username of mysql DB #“”=password of mysql DB #cdcol = DB name output = connection.query(“SELECT \* FROM cds;”) #cds = table name output.each do |x| puts x.inspect end * * * Regards, P.Raveendran Railsfactory > **[Raveendran](https://raveendran.wordpress.com)** > > Nothing is impossible... ---
**Author:** ![Csongor](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/ba8739/32.png) [@Csongor](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Csongor)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2008, 11:36am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/very-basic-question-ruby-mysql/136657/8 "2008-05-06T11:36:00Z")
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 A: Because it makes it difficult to follow the conversation. Q: Why is top posting bad? Csongor wrote: | Yeah I tried to instal dbi but this is what I get: | | csongors-mac:dbi-0.2.0 csgyuricza$ ruby setup.rb config | entering config phase… | config done. | csongors-mac:dbi-0.2.0 csgyuricza$ ruby setup.rb setup | entering setup phase… | setting #! line to “#!/System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/ | Versions/1.8/usr/bin/ruby” | setting #! line to “#!/System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/ | Versions/1.8/usr/bin/ruby” | /System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/1.8/usr/bin/ruby | extconf.rb | can’t find header files for ruby. | setup failed | ‘system /System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/1.8/usr/bin/ | ruby extconf.rb’ failed | try “ruby setup.rb --help” for usage | csongors-mac:dbi-0.2.0 csgyuricza$ sudo ruby setup.rb setup | Password: | entering setup phase… | setting #! line to “#!/System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/ | Versions/1.8/usr/bin/ruby” | setting #! line to “#!/System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/ | Versions/1.8/usr/bin/ruby” | /System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/1.8/usr/bin/ruby | extconf.rb | can’t find header files for ruby. | setup failed | ‘system /System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/1.8/usr/bin/ | ruby extconf.rb’ failed | try “ruby setup.rb --help” for usage Well, without the header-files for Ruby and the DB engines you want to use, you won’t be able to compile the extensions. Install those, and try again. * * * Phillip G. Twitter: [twitter.com/cynicalryan](http://twitter.com/cynicalryan) Blog: [http://justarubyist.blogspot.com](http://justarubyist.blogspot.com) ~ There’s never enough time to do all the nothing you want. – Calvin -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.8 (MingW32) Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - [http://enigmail.mozdev.org](http://enigmail.mozdev.org) iEYEARECAAYFAkggJlYACgkQbtAgaoJTgL8PwgCgiC/fF+mEFAmlyeD1uKn3zu4F odAAn29nWVuxq6yZwafzSjfHYkk/A4jQ =xm1c -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----