Select File, New, Project from the main menu.

Figure 21.58. Creating a New Project

In the wizard select Visual C++, Win32. From Visual Studio Installed Templates select the application type Win32 Console Application. Enter a name for the application, and then click OK, to move to the Win32 Application Wizard.

Figure 21.59. The New Project Dialog Box

In the Win32 Application Wizard, click on Application Settings and ensure the defaults are selected. The radio button Console application, and the checkbox Precompiled headers will be selected. Click Finish to close the wizard.

Figure 21.60. The Win32 Application Wizard

From the drop down list box on the toolbar, change from the default Debug build to the Release build.

Figure 21.61. Selecting the Release Build

From the main menu select Project, Properties. This can also be accessed using the hot key ALT + F7.

Figure 21.62. Selecting Project Properties from the Main Menu

Under Configuration Properties, open the tree view.

Select C++, General in the tree view.

Figure 21.63. Setting Properties

You now need to ensure that Visual Studio can find the MySQL include directory. This directory includes header files that can optionally be installed when installing MySQL Server.

Figure 21.64. MySQL Include Directory

Then in the Additional Include Directories text field, add the MySQL include/ directory.

Figure 21.65. Select Directory Dialog

You will also need to set the location of additional libraries that Visual Studio will need in order to build the application. These are located in the MySQL lib/opt directory, a sub-directory of the MySQL Server installation directory.

Figure 21.66. Typical Contents of MySQL lib/opt Directory

In the tree view open Linker, General, Additional Library Directories.

Figure 21.67. Additional Library Directories

Add the lib/opt directory into the Additional Library Directories text field. This allows the library file libmysql.lib to be found.

Figure 21.68. Additional Library Directories Dialog

Then open Linker, Input, Additional Dependencies.

Figure 21.69. 

Enter mysqlcppconn-static.lib and libmysql.lib.

Figure 21.70. Adding Additional Dependencies

By default CPPCONN_PUBLIC_FUNC is defined to declare functions to be compatible with an application that calls a DLL. If building an application to call the static library, you must ensure that function prototypes are compatible with this. In this case CPPCONN_PUBLIC_FUNC needs to be defined to be an empty string, so that functions are declared with the correct prototype.

In the Project, Properties tree view, under C++, Preprocessor, enter CPPCONN_PUBLIC_FUNC= into the Preprocessor Definitions text field.

Figure 21.71. Setting the CPPCONN_PUBLIC_FUNC Define

Under Linker, Input, add mysqlcppconn.lib into the Additional Dependencies text field.

The application will need to access the MySQL Connector/C++ Dynamic Linked Library at run time. Therefore, mysqlcppconn.dll needs to be in the same directory as the application executable, or somewhere on the system's path.

Copy mysqlcppconn.dll to the same directory as the application. Alternatively, extend the PATH environment variable using SET PATH=%PATH%;C:\path\to\cpp. Alternatively, you can copy mysqlcppconn.dll to the Windows installation Directory, typically c:\windows.