Connecting to MySQL using Perl

Connecting to MySQL using Perl
This article explains two methods for connecting to a MySQL database using Perl: the DBI (Database Interface) module and the legacy mysql module.

Tip: MySQL databases and users must already exist before using these methods.

Using the DBI (Database Interface) module
The DBI module is the recommended way to connect to MySQL in Perl. The legacy mysql module is deprecated.

Example code to connect and select a database (replace USERNAME, PASSWORD, and DBNAME with your details):

use DBI;
$myConnection = DBI->connect("DBI:mysql:DBNAME:localhost", "USERNAME", "PASSWORD");

After connecting, you can run SQL queries. For example, to select last names from the employees table:

$query = $myConnection->prepare("SELECT lastname FROM employees");
$result = $query->execute();

Using the legacy mysql module
The original Perl mysql module is deprecated and should only be used for backward compatibility.

Example code to connect and select a database (replace USERNAME, PASSWORD, and DBNAME):

use Mysql;
$myConnection = Mysql->connect('localhost','DBNAME','USERNAME','PASSWORD');

After connecting, run SQL queries. For example:

$result = $myConnection->query('SELECT lastname FROM employees');

More information
For details about the DBI module, visit DBI Documentation.