Description:
Compiling MySQL clients with C++Builder is a little bit different than with VC++, here is the description.
The "2.3.7 Compiling MySQL Clients on Windows" part says: "In your source files, you should include 'my_global.h' before 'mysql.h' ... 'my_global.h' includes any other files needed for Windows compatibility (such as 'windows.h') if you compile your program on Windows". Trying to complie a client with C++Builder, I got the following errors:
1. [C++ Error] config-win.h(106): E2238 Multiple declaration for 'size_t'
typedef unsigned int size_t;
This is because the type is defined in _stddef.h, which defines "multi-includable Definitions for common types, and NULL" as:
typedef unsigned int size_t; //(the same)
Solution:
#if !defined(_SIZE_T) && !defined(_SIZE_T_DEFINED)
typedef unsigned int size_t;
#endif
Or, don't define the type at all
2. [C++ Warning] config-win.h(309): W8017 Redefinition of 'PACKAGE' is not identical
#define PACKAGE "mysql"
This conflicts with the Builder's
#define PACKAGE __declspec(package)
which is of some system level and is defined in Vcl/sysmac.h. The point is the PACKAGE is not used anywhere in MySQL header files, though defined multiple times, so the solution is
//#define PACKAGE "mysql"
3.[C++ Error] mysql_com.h(116): E2303 Type name expected
my_socket fd; /* For Perl DBI/dbd */
This is because winsock.h is not included. For older version of MySQL that didn't require 'my_global.h' (the docs didn't say it!) before 'mysql.h' this was enough:
//#ifdef __LCC__
#include <winsock.h> /* For windows */
//#endif
(__LCC__ is not found anywhere (?!) ). If my_global.h is included before mysql.h then the file should be included in any way (in config-win.h):
#include <windows.h>
#include <winsock.h>
In VCL (C++Builder), the windows.h is always included at a very early compilation stage, so it's unnecessary at all.
4. By the way, compilation succeeds without #include <my_global.h> as well. Moreover, when it gets to compling a more complicated client, my_global.h even causes problems. Indeed, if you look along the lines like
typedef char pchar; /* Mixed prototypes can take char */
typedef float pfloat; /* Mixed prototypes can take float */
and some others, too, you'll see that some common types are used in an unusual way. For ex., in my programs pchar means char *. Moreover,
typedef char bool;
is still worse 'cause it changes the built-in type. With all these type redefinitions, one actually can't include my_global.h in their programs 'cause it changes standard types to something unexpected causing compiling and linking errors. So I didn't inlude it and the client worked (though not tested well)
5. *.lib files (libmySQL.lib) can't be used with Builder - they have to be produced from their dlls (if any) by implib.exe shipped with it or converted with another util also shipped with it - libraries produced by VC++ have a different format that causes linker error.
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I'd also give more details on how to compile MySQL on Windows with various options - like without BDB, without the unnecessary charsets etc 'cause one has to dig to it through the source code manually.
How to repeat:
Windows, C++Builder 5
A sample project that is supposed to be a MySQL client
Follow the docs, 2.3.7 Compiling MySQL Clients on Windows
Suggested fix:
See Description
