MySQL - creating a query optimizer add-on

My question quite a general one.

I have to create a prototype of a query optimizer for mySQL, that works instead of standard one, or complements it. It doesn't have to be very complicated, at the beginning. But is there a way of turning off the standard optimizer, so that I can check the way how mine works? And what language is the best for writing 开发者_如何学编程such an add-on?

The optimizer is the optimizer, not an optimizer. You will need to get the source and make your changes into a custom version of MySQL.

Check out http://code.google.com/p/google-mysql-tools/wiki/Mysql5Patches for examples of patching core components of MySQL.