Checking the number of rows returned from MySQL Data Reader

Question

I am currently working on an C# project and I am trying to get the number of rows returned from MySQL Data Reader.

I know there is no direct function so I am trying to write my own. In the function, I pass it the MySQLDataReader object and then loop through the MySQL Data Reader and increment a counter and return the value of the counter.

This then seems to lock up the program, I guess because I am Reader.read() after I've got the count I'm already at the end. Instead I have tried creating a copy of the reader and then loop through the temp version but I get the same result.

Below is my code where I am executing the query and calling the function.

string query = "SELECT * FROM reports, software, platforms, versions "
                        + "WHERE EmailVerified = @verified AND reports.SoftwareID = software.id AND reports.PlatformID = platforms.id "
                        + "AND reports.VersionID = versions.id AND BugReportAcceptedNotificationSent = @notificationSent";
using (MySqlCommand cmd = new MySqlCommand(query, db.conn))
{
    cmd.Parameters.AddWithValue("@verified", "1");
    cmd.Parameters.AddWithValue("@notificationSent", "0");
    using (MySqlDataReader reader = cmd.ExecuteReader())
    {
        totalEmails = HelperClass.totalRowsInMySQLDataReader(reader);
        while (reader.Read())
        {
            currentEmailCount++;
            EmailNotifications emailNotification = new EmailNotifications(reader);
            emailNotification.sendNewBugReportAfterVerificationEmail(currentEmailCount, totalEmails);
        }
    }
}

Below is my function that gets the row count

public static int totalRowsInMySQLDataReader(MySqlDataReader reader)
{
    MySqlDataReader tempReader = reader;
    ILibraryInterface library = GeneralTasks.returnBitsLibrary(Configuration.databaseSettings, Configuration.engineConfig.logFile);
    string methodInfo = classDetails + MethodInfo.GetCurrentMethod().Name;
    try
    {
        int count = 0;
        while (tempReader.Read())
        {
            count++;
        }
        tempReader = null;
        return count;
    }
    catch (Exception ex)
    {
        string error = string.Format("Failed to get total rows in MySQL Database. Exception: {0}", ex.Message);
        library.logging(methodInfo, error);
        library.setAlarm(error, CommonTasks.AlarmStatus.Medium, methodInfo);
        return -1;
    }
}

Answer 1

To avoid multiple queries, how about including the total in the select itself?

SELECT COUNT(*) AS TotalNORows, * FROM reports, software, platforms, versions etc