Querying MYSQL from an external application (is my code inefficient)?

I have a database that I need to query over and over as fast as possible. My queries execute pretty quickly, but there seems to be some additional lag.

I have a feeling that this lag is due to the fact that I am initiating and de-initiating a connection the connection each time. Is there a way to avoid this?

I am not using libmysql (at least, not directly). I am using the "mysql50" package in Lazarus/FreePascal (similar to delphi), which in turn uses libmysql ( I think ).

I would really appreciate if someone took a look at my code and pointed out (or maybe even fixed ) some inefficiencies.

The purpose of this library is to pass along a query sent from MQL4 (a propitiatory C-like language for the financial exchange market), and return a single row from my MYSQL database (to which it connects through a pipe).

{$CALLING STDCALL}

library D1Query;

{$mode objfpc}{$H+}

uses
  cmem,
  Windows,
  SysUtils,
  profs_win32exceptiontrap,
  mysql50;

var

  sock: PMYSQL;
  qmysql: st_mysql;

type
  VArray = array[0..100] of Double;
  PArray = ^VArray;


  procedure InitSQL; stdcall;
  begin

    mysql_init(PMySQL(@qmysql));
    sock :=
      mysql_real_connect(PMysql(@qmysql), '.', 'root', 'password', 'data', 3306, 'mysql', CLIENT_MULTI_STATEMENTS);
    if sock = nil then
    begin
      OutputDebugString(PChar('  Couldn''t connect to MySQL.'));
      OutputDebugString(PChar(my开发者_如何学Gosql_error(@qmysql)));
      halt(1);
    end;

  end;

  procedure DeInitSQL; stdcall;
  begin

    mysql_close(sock);
  end;

  function SQL_Query(QRY: PChar; output: PArray): integer; stdcall;
  var
    rowbuf: MYSQL_ROW;
    recbuf: PMYSQL_RES;
    i: integer;
    nfields: LongWord;


  begin
    InitSQL();

    if (mysql_query(sock, QRY) < 0) then
    begin
      OutputDebugString(PChar('  Query failed '));
      OutputDebugString(PChar('   ' + mysql_error(sock)));
    end;

    recbuf := mysql_store_result(sock);
    nfields :=  mysql_num_fields(recbuf);
    rowbuf := mysql_fetch_row(recbuf);


    if (rowbuf <> nil) then
    begin
      for i:=0 to nfields-1 do
          output^[i] := StrToFloatDef(rowbuf[i], -666);
    end;

    mysql_free_result(recbuf);
    DeInitSQL();
    Result := i;


  end;

exports
  SQL_Query,
  InitSQL,
  DeInitSQL;

begin
end.

You could use Initialization and Finalization blocks to handle setting up and tearing down the SQL connection. That way you remove the overhead of connection setup from each query that you execute. You can find more info on Initialization and Finalization here.

From the link:

The initialization block is used to initialize certain variables or execute code that is necessary for the correct functioning of the unit. The initialization parts of the units are executed in the order that the compiler loaded the units when compiling a program. They are executed before the first statement of the program is executed.

The finalization part of the units are executed in the reverse order of the initialization execution. They are used for instance to clean up any resources allocated in the initialization part of the unit, or during the lifetime of the program. The finalization part is always executed in the case of a normal program termination: whether it is because the final end is reached in the program code or because a Halt instruction was executed somewhere.