What is the best way to develop a C# project with a MySQL backend?

Question

So I'm using C# 2010 Express and wondering what the best toolset is for developing a C# project with a MySQL backend? I know what if you use SQL Server Compact edition from within C# it will let you access the DB directly from the IDE. Is there a similar way to integrate the development with a remote MySQL Database?

Also, is MySQL a versatile enough solution for writing a program with C#? I am looking to build a seperate PHP web site (a reporting portal) that will access the MySQL data. I'd love to go open source all the way, but it seems like C# is the best app to create the app I'm trying to create (touch screen interface for data entry).

Answer 1

There is

http://www.devart.com/dbforge/mysql/fusion/

But it's not free and is a plugin which you can't use with Express. There is no way to do this with Express as you can't add onto the basic functionality.