CF and MySQL: Where to start?!

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First things first.

1) Since you intend to use MySQL 5.*, you need to install the latest MySQL JDBC driver. Download it from

http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/connector/j/5.0.html

2) The file has a .TAR.GZ extension, so you have to extract twice -- unzip, untar -- to get to driver file that you need for Coldfusion. It is the file mysql-connector-java-5.0.4-bin.jar.

3) Stop the Coldfusion service. Go to the Coldfusion directory /wwwroot/WEB-INF/lib/ and delete any JAR file whose name begins with mysql-connector-java. That would be the old JDBC driver for MySQL. Don't throw it away just yet, just in case. Cut-and-paste it in your My Documents folder, for example.

4) Copy the new driver file mysql-connector-java-5.0.4-bin.jar into /wwwroot/WEB-INF/lib/.

5) Restart Coldfusion.

6) ... But then you had a question:

> I don't know where the test dB in MySQL is located, or what it's named

Databases in MySQL are just folders. They are located in the directory {MySQL_HOME}\data\, where {MySQL_HOME} stands for the location where you installed MySQL. The default is usually

{MySQL_HOME} = C:\Program Files\MySQL\MySQL Server 5.0.

MySQL comes with an empty folder, hence, empty database, called test in {MySQL_HOME}\data\. Do you have one? If not, not to worry. You will create one in a moment.

7) Now, go one step back. When you were doing the settings for datasource in the Coldfusion Administrator, there were two possibilities you could choose from for the driver field, MySQL(3.1) or Other. The option MySQL(3.1) is old and can give problems with later versions of MySQL. You should have chosen the option Other.

If you didn't, go back to the Coldfusion Adinistrator and redo the settings from scratch, keeping the other settings the same. Also, use the username root and leave the password field empty. Those are MySQL defaults, just to get you started. If during the MySQL installation you had configured a username and password, then enter those values in the Coldfusion Administrator.

8) Did you verify there is a folder named "test" in {MySQL_HOME}\data\? If there is, we're done.

If there isn't, you can create one right away. On your desktop, follow the path (or its equivalent): Start => Programs => MySQL => MySQL Server 5.0 and open the MySQL Command Line Client. You should get "Password:" on the command-line. Press Enter, unless you had configured a password for the MySQL root account. In that case, enter the root password.

You should see "mysql>" on the command line. You can now directly enter SQL statements for the MySQL server. So, at the command-prompt, type

create database test;

and press enter. MySQL should then create a database called test. In fact, while you're at it you can create any database you want, using the same simple SQL statement. Verify from {MySQL_HOME}\data\ that MySQL created them.

9) Verify the datasource settings in the Coldfusion Administrator. Any Joy?

OK. I've done the following:

1. downloaded and installed MySQL 5.0.27
2. restarted ColdFusion MX 6
3. Created a datasource in the CF Admin panel named MySQL_test
4. added this as the JDBC URL :jdbc:mysql://localhost:3306/test
5. added this as the Driver Class: com.mysql.jdbc.Driver

I'm getting the following error when I submit the datasource in CF:

Connection verification failed for data source: MySQL_test
[]java.sql.SQLException: Unable to instantiate logger class 'com.mysql.jdbc.log.Log4JLogger', exception in constructor?
The root cause was that: java.sql.SQLException: Unable to instantiate logger class 'com.mysql.jdbc.log.Log4JLogger', exception in constructor?

I have nothing in the Java and JVM Settings, under Class Path. Previously I had tried putting the path to my connector, which is located here: C:\CFusionMX\wwwroot\WEB-INF\lib\mysql-connector-java-3.1.10-bin.jar

Any ideas would be appreciated!

I don't know where the test dB in MySQL is located, or what it's named. (I'm clueless!)

Thanks!

Rick