* MySQL Data Provider

<ul>
	<li>MySQL Data Provider for 
	<a href="http://www.mysql.com/">MySQL</a> databases.  It is written in C# and uses
	the MySQL C Client Library</li>

	<li>Exists in namespace Mono.Data.MySql and assembly Mono.Data.MySql</li>
	
	<li>Works on Windows and Linux via the MySQL client shared library
	    (libmySQL.dll on Windows and libmysqlclient.so on Linux).</li>
	    
    <li>Started by Daniel Morgan using 
    <a href="http://www.cybercom.net/~zbrad/DotNet/MySql/">C# Bindings to MySQL</a> from <a href="mailto:zbrad@cybercom.net">Brad Merill</a>
    
    <li><a href="http://www.mysql.com/articles/dotnet/">Exploring MySQL in the Microsoft .NET Environment</a> is an article
    by Mr. Venu who is a MySQL AB developer.</li>
    
    <li>There is a good alternative to the provider in Mono:
		<ul>
			<li><a href="http://sourceforge.net/projects/mysqlnet/">MySQLNet</a> from ByteFX 
			is a MySQL Managed provider written in 100% C#,
			does not require a client library, and works on Microsoft .NET and Mono.  You 
			need at least Mono 0.18 and MySQLNet 0.65 for it to work on Mono.  MySQLNet
			works in the SQL# command-line and GTK# GUI version</li>

		</ul>
		</li>
	<li>Testing for Mono's Mono.Data.MySql and ByteFX's ByteFX.Data.MySQLClient is below...</li>
</ul>
    
** Current Status

<ul>
	<li>can connect
	
	<li>can execute non-queries via ExecuteNonQuery()
	
	<li>can execute aggregates via ExecuteScalar() and retrieve the
	single row/single column result
	
	<li>can execute queries and retrieve results using a data reader.
	
	<li>a schema DataTable has been partially 
	implemented which is returned from GetSchemaTable() in MySqlDataReader.
	
	<li>a DataTable in a DataSet can be filled via a MySqlDataAdapter 
		
	<li>The shared client libraries 
	between windows version and linux are different: windows has libmySQL.dll 
	while linux has libmysqlclient.so.  This is handled by the 
	file etc/mono/config which is mapped by the mono runtime in knowing
	which native shared library to load.  In cvs, this file is mono/config.in and
	can be modified with a text editor.  
	
	<li>Works in the SQL# command-line and GTK# GUI version</li>
</ul>

** Action plan

The current plan to work on the MySQL data provider:
	
	<ul>
		<li>Parameters support via MySqlParameter and MySqlParameterCollection
		
		<li>Support LOBs (Large Object)
		
		<li>Change the MySQL provider to not be dependent on a client library and
		    be written in 100% C#
		    
		<li>Connection pooling
		
		<li>Get the provider to work like other data providers
	</ul>

** Testing for Mono's MySQL provider (Mono.Data.MySql)

<ul>
	<li>Have access to a MySQL database or download it from
		<ul>
			<li><a href="http://www.mysql.com/downloads/index.html">MySQL AB</a></li>
		</ul>
	</li>
	
	<li>Take a look at MySqlTest.cs in mcs/class/Mono.Data.MySql/Test</li>
	
	<li>Has a ConnectionString format: 
<pre>
 "Server=hostname;" +
 "Database=database;" +
 "User ID=username;" +
 "Password=password"
         (or)
 "host=hostname;" +
 "dbname=database;" +
 "user=username;" +
 "passwd=password"
</pre>

	<li>C# Example:
<pre>
 using System;
 using System.Data;
 using Mono.Data.MySql;
 
 public class Test 
 {
    public static void Main(string[] args)
    {
       string connectionString = 
          "Server=localhost;" +
          "Database=test;" +
          "User ID=myuserid;" +
          "Password=mypassword;";
       IDbConnection dbcon;
       dbcon = new MySqlConnection(connectionString);
       IDbCommand dbcmd = dbcon.CreateCommand();
       // requires a table to be created named employee
       // with columns firstname and lastname
       // such as,
       //        CREATE TABLE employee (
       //           firstname varchar(32),
       //           lastname varchar(32));
       string sql = 
            "SELECT firstname, lastname " + 
            "FROM employee";
       dbcmd.CommandText = sql;
       IDataReader reader = dbcmd.ExecuteReader();
       while(reader.Read()) {
            string FirstName = reader["firstname"];
            string LastName = reader["lastname"];
            Console.WriteLine("Name: " + 
                 FirstName + " " + LastName);
       }
       // clean up
       reader.Close();
       reader = null;
       dbcmd.Dispose();
       dbcmd = null;
       dbcon.Close();
       dbcon = null;
    }
 }
</pre>
	</li>
	<li>Building C# Example:
	<ul>
		<li>Save the example to a file, such as, TestExample.cs</li>
		<li>Build on Linux:
<pre>
	mcs TestExample.cs \
	    -r System.Data.dll \
	    -r Mono.Data.MySql.dll
</pre>
		</li>
		<li>Build on Windows via Cygwin:
<pre>
	mono C:/cygwin/home/MyHome/mono/install/bin/mcs.exe \
	     TestExample.cs \
	     -lib:C:/cygwin/home/MyHome/mono/install/lib \
	     -r System.Data.dll \
	     -r Mono.Data.MySql.dll
</pre>
		</li>
	</ul>
	</li>
	<li>Running the Example:
<pre>
mono TestExample.exe
</pre>
	</li>

</ul>

** Testing for MySQLNet provider (ByteFX.Data.MySQLClient)

<ul>
	<li>Have access to a MySQL database or download it from
		<ul>
			<li><a href="http://www.mysql.com/downloads/index.html">MySQL AB</a></li>
		</ul>
	</li>
	
	<li>MySQLNet can be gotten from <a href="http://sourceforge.net/projects/mysqlnet/">here</a> and the 
	binary assembly ByteFX.Data.dll needs to be	installed 
	in the same place as the mono class libraries.</li>
	
	<li>MySQLNet requires <a href="http://www.icsharpcode.net/OpenSource/SharpZipLib/default.asp">SharpZipLib</a> which is 
	a Zip Library written in 100% C#.  This is used for compression/decompression of data
	sent/received over the network.  The SharpZipLib binary assembly SharpZipLib.dll should 
	be installed in the same place as the mono class libraries.</li>
	
	<li>Has a ConnectionString format: 
<pre>
"Server=hostname;" +
"Database=database;" +
"User ID=username;" +
"Password=password"
</pre>
	</li>
	<li>C# Example:
<pre>
 using System;
 using System.Data;
 using ByteFX.Data.MySQLClient;
 
 public class Test 
 {
    public static void Main(string[] args)
    {
       string connectionString = 
          "Server=localhost;" +
          "Database=test;" +
          "User ID=myuserid;" +
          "Password=mypassword;";
       IDbConnection dbcon;
       dbcon = new MySQLConnection(connectionString);
       IDbCommand dbcmd = dbcon.CreateCommand();
       // requires a table to be created named employee
       // with columns firstname and lastname
       // such as,
       //        CREATE TABLE employee (
       //           firstname varchar(32),
       //           lastname varchar(32));
       string sql = 
           "SELECT firstname, lastname " +
           "FROM employee";
       dbcmd.CommandText = sql;
       IDataReader reader = dbcmd.ExecuteReader();
       while(reader.Read()) {
            string FirstName = reader["firstname"];
            string LastName = reader["lastname"];
            Console.WriteLine("Name: " + 
                  FirstName + " " + LastName);
       }
       // clean up
       reader.Close();
       reader = null;
       dbcmd.Dispose();
       dbcmd = null;
       dbcon.Close();
       dbcon = null;
    }
 }
</pre>
	</li>
	<li>Building C# Example:
	<ul>
		<li>Save the example to a file, such as, TestExample.cs</li>
		<li>Build on Linux:
<pre>
	mcs TestExample.cs -r System.Data.dll \
	    -r ByteFX.Data.dll
</pre>
		</li>
		<li>Build on Windows via Cygwin:
<pre>
	mono C:/cygwin/home/MyHome/mono/install/bin/mcs.exe \
	     TestExample.cs \
	     -lib:C:/cygwin/home/MyHome/mono/install/lib \
	     -r System.Data.dll -r ByteFX.Data.dll
</pre>
		</li>
	</ul>
	</li>
	<li>Running the Example:
<pre>
mono TestExample.exe
</pre>
	</li>

</ul>