MySQL Connector for .NET - Is it REALLY mature?

Question

After spending a miserable month with MySQL/.NET/EntityFramework, my findings:

Support for Entity Framework is VERY primitive, please use it for student-subjects type of database. Kindly do not consider it using for serious development as they ARE STILL unable to sort out VERY BASIC things like:

• it DOES NOT support unsigned stuff
• it DOES NOT support unsigned columns as FK; if you try, it gives you a beautiful exception; "The specified value is not an instance of a valid constant type\r\nParameter name: value" [http://bugs.mysql.com/bug.php?id=44801]
• blob cannot store more then few KB;
• cannot compare null object with a column with a LEGAL null value [http://bugs.mysql.com/bug.php?id=49936]
• they are unable to write VERY PRIMITIVE check to return date as null if value in column is 0000-00-00 00:00:00
• if you use Visual Studio; sorry; mysql/sun guys hate Microsoft, they will NOT LET you import more then two or three tables (for Micky Mouse type of tables, they allow five; but thats it) - if you try, it will throw TIME OUT error on your face ... unless you are smart enough to change the connection time in connection string

Anyone who would like to add in above list?

WISH I would have seen a list like this before I selected MySQL :(

Answer 1

It seems like they only have one guy working on it. Look through the MySQL forums and you'll see how long it even took them to get an alpha out the door. I'm not surprised they still haven't managed to get some of the basics right

Answer 2

I use MySQL Connector 6.0.3 on a variety of .NET applications.

Most of the work I do is the 'basic' SQL type stuff - SELECT/INSERT/UPDATE/DELETE and for this the connector works fine.

Issues I have relate to lack-of-documentation - most of the emphasis for .NET applications is on using MSSQL and not MySQL.

Answer 3

MySql .NET Connector is indeed miserable. I'm quitting now my efforts on supporting it on my current project. The support/documentation is very poor and the functionality is indeed VERY primitive. Work a little bit with FKs, uints, DateTime and Guid and you'll see how hell looks like.

I expected Sun to invest some more on it...

Answer 4

I have had my own share of problems with the Compact Framework version, which is the same source with a few #ifdefs.