juggledad on "Connecting MySQL with php code in Wordpress"

If you are doing this from with in WP you need to use the WP API and WP will hndle the calls. Here is an example I used (in a plugin I was using to track milage I walked on a virtual Applicaian Trail hike) to insert a row in a table I created in the WP database

//Submits data to the MYSQL database table wp_at_hike

	if (isset($_POST['Submit'])) {
		global $wpdb, $current_user;
		get_currentuserinfo();
		$trail_name = $current_user->display_name;

		$year = mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['yeardata']);
	    $month = mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['monthdata']);
	    $day = mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['daydata']);
	    $time = 0;
	    $distance = mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['distancedata']);
	    $sql = "INSERT INTO wp_at_hike (trail_name,year,month,day,time,distance) VALUES ('$trail_name','$year','$month','$day','$time','$distance')";

		if ($wpdb->query($sql) === FALSE) {
			echo "Error!";
		} else {
			echo "Your entry was successfully added to your Trail Log.";
		}
	};