Connector/Ruby Guide

Quickstart Guide: MariaDB Connector/Ruby (using mysql2 gem)

While there isn't a separate "MariaDB Connector/Ruby" gem, the widely used mysql2 gem serves as the primary and highly compatible Ruby client for connecting to both MariaDB and MySQL databases. It provides a robust API for database interactions in Ruby applications.

1. Overview

The mysql2 gem provides a Ruby interface to the MariaDB/MySQL C client library (either libmysqlclient or MariaDB Connector/C). It allows Ruby applications to execute SQL queries, fetch results, and manage database connections efficiently. It's available on .

2. Installation

Before installing the mysql2 gem, you might need to install development libraries for MariaDB Connector/C or MySQL Client on your system.

a. Install System Dependencies (e.g., on Debian/Ubuntu):

On other systems (Fedora, CentOS, macOS), the package names might differ (e.g., mariadb-devel, mysql-devel).

b. Install the mysql2 gem:

Once the system dependencies are in place, install the gem using Bundler (recommended for Rails/Gemfile projects) or directly via gem install:

3. Basic Usage

Here's how to connect to MariaDB and perform common database operations using the mysql2 gem:

a. Connect to the Database:

Replace localhost, 3306, your_username, your_password, and your_database_name with your actual database details.

b. Execute a SELECT Query:

The results object behaves like an enumerable, allowing you to iterate over rows. Column names are accessible as hash keys.

c. Execute INSERT/UPDATE/DELETE Queries:

For data manipulation, use query. For safety, always use prepared statements or proper escaping for user-provided input.

d. Prepared Statements (Recommended for security and performance):

Prepared statements allow you to separate the SQL query structure from the data, preventing SQL injection and improving performance for repeated queries.

Before Running:

1. Ensure you have a MariaDB server running and a database/table set up.

2. Replace placeholder values with your actual database credentials and table/column names.

Important Notes:

• Error Handling: Always wrap your database operations in begin...rescue...end blocks to catch Mysql2::Error exceptions.

• Connection Closing: Ensure your Mysql2::Client connection is closed using client.close in a ensure block to release database resources.

Further Resources: