PDO problem

PHP
1

Hello
I’m learning to program PHP for the first time, and I’m using a great book called: “PHP & MYSQL NOVICE TO NINJA” written by Kevin Yank.
I have an error and I can’t get around it.
In chapter 4 he introduces a PDO class as a way to connect to a MySql database, but I get an error message that reads:
“Unable to connect to the database server. could not find driver”

Just in case, I downloaded XAMPP version 3.0.12 compiled on June 24, 2012
I’m running Apache and MySql from the XAMPP Control Panel.
They are not installed as services.

I would appreciate any help on this matter.
Thanks

2

Use phpinfo() to locate what php.ini file you’re using then open that php.ini file open. Look for a line that looks like:

extension=php_pdo_mysql.dll

There’s probably a ; at the start of the line, remove the ; save the changes and then reboot the server.

3

Thanks for your prompt reply.
This is a partial copy of the php.ini file:

Windows Extensions
; Note that ODBC support is built in, so no dll is needed for it.
; Note that many DLL files are located in the extensions/ (PHP 4) ext/ (PHP 5)
; extension folders as well as the separate PECL DLL download (PHP 5).
; Be sure to appropriately set the extension_dir directive.

extension=php_bz2.dll
;extension=php_curl.dll
extension=php_mbstring.dll
extension=php_exif.dll
;extension=php_fileinfo.dll
extension=php_gd2.dll
extension=php_gettext.dll
;extension=php_gmp.dll
;extension=php_intl.dll
;extension=php_imap.dll
;extension=php_interbase.dll
;extension=php_ldap.dll
;extension=php_mssql.dll
;extension=php_mbstring.dll
;extension=php_exif.dll ; Must be after mbstring as it depends on it
extension=php_mysql.dll
extension=php_mysqli.dll
;extension=php_oci8.dll ; Use with Oracle 10gR2 Instant Client
;extension=php_oci8_11g.dll ; Use with Oracle 11gR2 Instant Client
;extension=php_openssl.dll
;extension=php_pdo_firebird.dll
extension=php_pdo_mysql.dll
;extension=php_pdo_oci.dll
;extension=php_pdo_odbc.dll
;extension=php_pdo_pgsql.dll
extension=php_pdo_sqlite.dll
;extension=php_pdo_sqlite_external.dll
;extension=php_pgsql.dll
;extension=php_pspell.dll
;extension=php_shmop.dll

; The MIBS data available in the PHP distribution must be installed.
; See http://www.php.net/manual/en/snmp.installation.php
;extension=php_snmp.dll

extension=php_soap.dll
extension=php_sockets.dll
extension=php_sqlite3.dll
;extension=php_sybase_ct.dll
;extension=php_tidy.dll
extension=php_xmlrpc.dll
extension=php_xsl.dll
…

But when I check the phpinfo.php there is a section “Configure Commands” ( fifth row from the top )
That states the following details:
cscript /nologo configure.js “–enable-snapshot-build” “–disable-isapi” “–enable-debug-pack” “–without-mssql” “–without-pdo-mssql” “–without-pi3web” “–with-pdo-oci=C:\php-sdk\oracle\instantclient10\sdk,shared” “–with-oci8=C:\php-sdk\oracle\instantclient10\sdk,shared” “–with-oci8-11g=C:\php-sdk\oracle\instantclient11\sdk,shared” “–enable-object-out-dir=…/obj/” “–enable-com-dotnet” “–with-mcrypt=static” “–disable-static-analyze” “–with-pgo”

What does that mean?
On php.ini the pdo is activated, but in the phpinfo() it shows as “without-mysql” and “without-pdp-mysql”

Thanks again

4

As an addition to my last message, I have to add that in the PDO section of the phpinfo(), it shows that the pdo is enabled for mysql and sqlite.
I’m stuck…

5

Can you paste the code that is invoking this error? Maybe the MySQL Service/Server isn’t running? Or is running on a different port?

6

Of course !
here is the code:

<?php
try
{
$pdo=new PDO(‘msql:host=localhost;dbname=ijdb’, ‘ijdbuser’, ‘123’);
$pdo->setAttribute(PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE, PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION);
$pdo->exec(‘SET NAMES “UTF-8”’);
}
catch (PDOException $e)
{
$output='Unable to connect to the database server. ’ .
$e->getMessage();
include ‘output.html.php’;
exit();
}
$output=‘Database connection established!’;
include ‘output.html.php’;
?>

And the message as I wrote before is:
"Unable to connect to the database server. could not find driver "

I double checked and the Apache server is running and the MySQL is also running using the default port 3306

Thanks for your time…

7

You misspelled mysql in the driver name

$pdo=new PDO('msql:host=localhost;dbname=ijdb', 'ijdbuser', '123');

Should be

$pdo=new PDO('mysql:host=localhost;dbname=ijdb', 'ijdbuser', '123');
8

How embarrased I am…!!
Thank you cpradio for pointing this out…

Just after correcting this typo, another error appear.
Something like there is an error with the UTF-8…
But I removed the “-” and leave it at UTF8, and I got the "Database connection established! "

I really appreciate your help.
Thanks

9

:slight_smile: As you work through the book, if you need any other help, please post another thread. There are several people here who are always willing to help :slight_smile: