====== MySQL C API ======
http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.0/en/c.html

http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/6.0/en/c.html

====== Connect MySQL server using C program API under Linux or UNIX ======
http://www.cyberciti.biz/tips/linux-unix-connect-mysql-c-api-program.html

===== Requirements =====
Make sure you have development environment installed such as gcc, mysql development package etc. Following is the list summarize the list of packages to compile program:

    * mysql: MySQL client programs and shared library
    * mysqlclient: Backlevel MySQL shared libraries (old libs)
    * mysql-devel: Files for development of MySQL applications (a must have)
    * mysql-server: Mysql server itself
    * gcc, make and other development libs: GNU C compiler

===== Sample C Program =====
Following instructions should work on any Linux distro or UNIX computer. Here is the small program that connects to mysql server and list tables from mysql database.

<code>
/* Simple C program that connects to MySQL Database server*/
#include <mysql.h>
#include <stdio.h>

main() {
   MYSQL *conn;
   MYSQL_RES *res;
   MYSQL_ROW row;

   char *server = "localhost";
   char *user = "root";
   char *password = "PASSWORD"; /* set me first */
   char *database = "mysql";

   conn = mysql_init(NULL);

   /* Connect to database */
   if (!mysql_real_connect(conn, server,
         user, password, database, 0, NULL, 0)) {
      fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", mysql_error(conn));
      exit(1);
   }

   /* send SQL query */
   if (mysql_query(conn, "show tables")) {
      fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", mysql_error(conn));
      exit(1);
   }

   res = mysql_use_result(conn);

   /* output table name */
   printf("MySQL Tables in mysql database:\n");
   while ((row = mysql_fetch_row(res)) != NULL)
      printf("%s \n", row[0]);

   /* close connection */
   mysql_free_result(res);
   mysql_close(conn);
}
</code>

How do I compile and link program against MySQL libs?

MySQL comes with a special script called mysql_config. It provides you with useful information for compiling your MySQL client and connecting it to MySQL database server. You need to use following two options.
Pass --libs option - Libraries and options required to link with the MySQL client library.

  $ mysql_config --libs

Output:
<code>
-L/usr/lib64/mysql -lmysqlclient -lz -lcrypt -lnsl -lm -L/usr/lib64 -lssl -lcrypto
</code>

Pass --cflags option - Compiler flags to find include files and critical compiler flags and defines used when compiling the libmysqlclient library.
  $ mysql_config --cflags

Output:
<code>
  -I/usr/include/mysql -g -pipe -m64 -D_GNU_SOURCE -D_FILE_OFFSET_BITS=64 -D_LARGEFILE_SOURCE -fno-strict-aliasing
</code>

You need to pass above option to GNU C compiler i.e. gcc. So to compile above program, enter:
  $ gcc -o output-file $(mysql_config --cflags) mysql-c-api.c $(mysql_config --libs)

Now execute program:
  $ ./output-file

Output:
<code>
MySQL Tables in mysql database:
columns_priv
db
func
help_category
help_keyword
help_relation
help_topic
host
tables_priv
time_zone
time_zone_leap_second
time_zone_name
time_zone_transition
time_zone_transition_type
user 
</code>

===== References: =====
    * MySQL C API - A must read - official MySQL C API documentation