1. Make a copy of the `execsql.cpp` program from Section 28.4.3. Examine the call to the `mysql_real_connect` function inside the `main` function:

   > `if (mysql_real_connect(connection, NULL, NULL, NULL,
   > "bigcpp", NULL, 0, NULL) == NULL)`

   If you need to connect to a remote database or a database with multiple users, change the first three `NULL` arguments to strings denoting the host server, the database user name, and the password

2. Locate the directories for the header file `mysql.h` and the `mysqlclient` library files. They should be in the `include` and `lib` subdirectories of the MySQL installation directory. Add the path of the header file directory to your compiler's header file directories. Add the library to your compiler's libraries. Compile the `execsql` program. For example, on Linux, you use the command

   > `g++ -o execsql -I /usr/local/mysql/include execsql.cpp
   > -L /usr/local/mysql/lib -lmysqlclient -lz`

3. Locate the file `test.sql` that contains the same SQL instructions as the database test in Step 6 above. It is included with the code distribution for this book. Then run the command

   > `execsql < test.sql`

   The program should print Romeo, the same output as with the first database test. If this test passes, then you are ready to run the programs of the next section.

   If your program doesn't work, there are several possible causes.

   - If the `execsql` program didn't compile, check the settings for the header files and the libraries. Make sure that `mysql.h` and the `mysqlclient` library are included
   - If the program starts and does nothing, check that you invoked it correctly, as `execsql < test.sql`
   - If the program exits with an error message, check that you started the database before running the `execsql` program
   - Check that you created the `bigcpp` database and gave at least one database user the right to access it
   - If you left the `mysql_real_connect` arguments as `NULL`, check that the user running the program has the right to access the database