:raise InterfaceError: If the connection is closed.
        :raise ValueError: If no username was specified.

def _execute_command(self, command, sql):
        """
        :raise InterfaceError: If the connection is closed.
        :raise ValueError: If no username was specified.
        """
        if not self._sock:
            raise err.InterfaceError("(0, '')")

        # If the last query was unbuffered, make sure it finishes before
        # sending new commands
        if self._result is not None:
            if self._result.unbuffered_active:
                warnings.warn("Previous unbuffered result was left incomplete")
                self._result._finish_unbuffered_query()
            while self._result.has_next:
                self.next_result()
            self._result = None

        if isinstance(sql, text_type):
            sql = sql.encode(self.encoding)

        packet_size = min(MAX_PACKET_LEN, len(sql) + 1)  # +1 is for command

        # tiny optimization: build first packet manually instead of
        # calling self..write_packet()
        prelude = struct.pack('<iB', packet_size, command)
        packet = prelude + sql[:packet_size-1]
        self._write_bytes(packet)
        if DEBUG: dump_packet(packet)
        self._next_seq_id = 1

        if packet_size < MAX_PACKET_LEN:
            return

        sql = sql[packet_size-1:]
        while True:
            packet_size = min(MAX_PACKET_LEN, len(sql))
            self.write_packet(sql[:packet_size])
            sql = sql[packet_size:]
            if not sql and packet_size < MAX_PACKET_LEN:
                break