# either
my $dbh = DBI->connect("dbi:mysql:dbname;mysql_server_prepare=1",
     "user","pass");

# or 
$dbh->{ mysql_server_prepare } = 1;

##</code><code>##

export MYSQL_SERVER_PREPARE=1 

##</code><code>##

my $query = qq{SELECT col1, col2, col3 FROM mytable LIMIT ? , ?};
my $sth = $dbh->prepare($query);
my $lines = 20;

for my $page_no (1..10) {
    $sth->execute($page_no, $lines);
    # do something with the page.
}

##</code><code>##

$dbh1->{ mysql_server_prepare } = 0;  # emulated prepared statement
$dbh2->{ mysql_server_prepare } = 1;  # real prepared statement

my $query = qq{select book_id from books where author_id = ?  };

use DBI::Profile;
$dbh1->{Profile} = DBI::Profile->new;
$dbh2->{Profile} = DBI::Profile->new;
$dbh1->{Profile} = 4;
$dbh2->{Profile} = 4;

my $sth1 = $dbh1->prepare($query);
my $sth2 = $dbh2->prepare($query);

timethese ( 5000,
    {
        emulated => sub {
            for (1 .. 15) {
                $sth1->execute($_);
                my $rows = $sth1->fetchall_arrayref();
            }
        },
        prepared => sub {
            for (1 .. 15) {
                $sth2->execute($_);
                my $rows = $sth2->fetchall_arrayref();
            }
        }
   }
);
print "emulated\n", $dbh1->{Profile}->format;
print "prepared\n", $dbh2->{Profile}->format;
$dbh1->{Profile} =0;
$dbh2->{Profile} =0;