MySQL Manual
9 MySQL APIs
- 9.1 MySQL C API
- 9.1.1 C API Datatypes
- 9.1.2 C API Function Overview
- 9.1.3 C API Function Descriptions
- 9.1.4 C API Prepared Statements
- 9.1.5 C API Prepared Statement Datatypes
- 9.1.6 C API Prepared Statement Function Overview
- 9.1.7 C API Prepared Statement Function Descriptions
- 9.1.8 C API Handling of Multiple Query Execution
- 9.1.9 C API Handling of Date and Time Values
- 9.1.10 C API Threaded Function Descriptions
- 9.1.11 C API Embedded Server Function Descriptions
- 9.1.12 Common questions and problems when using the C API
- 9.1.13 Building Client Programs
- 9.1.14 How to Make a Threaded Client
- 9.1.15 libmysqld, the Embedded MySQL Server Library
9.1.4 C API Prepared Statements
As of MySQL 4.1, the client/server protocol provides for the use of
prepared statements. This capability uses the
MYSQL_STMT statement handler data structure.
Prepared execution is an efficient way to execute a statement more than
once. The statement is first parsed to prepare it for execution. Then
it is executed one or more times at a later time, using the statement
handle returned by the prepare function.
Prepared execution is faster than direct execution for statements executed more than once, primarly because the query is parsed only once. In the case of direct execution, the query is parsed every time it is executed. Prepared execution also can provide a reduction of network traffic because for each execution of the prepared statement, it is necessary only to send the data for the parameters.
Another advantage of prepared statements is that it uses a binary protocol that makes data transfer between client and server more efficient. Prepared statements also can support input and output binding for multiple query execution.
