Question MySQL Connector/Net not recognized by VWD2008 Express

[Comotose]

Sorry folks, another newb question, but first...

Apologies to the Moderator for not putting this in the mySQL forum, but it's a very lonely place over there, and no responses!

Onward...

My new installation of Visual Web Developer 2008 Express doesn't seem to know anything about the MySQL Connector/Net. Trying to follow the MySQL Connector/Net documentation, right at the outset nothing is matching up.

Initially I installed VWD2008 Express. Here are the version details from Help/about:

Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Version 9.0.30729.1 SP
Microsoft .NET Framework Version 3.5 SP1
Installed Edition: WD Express​

Then I installed MySQL Connector Net 6.2.2 downloaded from the mySQL site.

But trying to follow the Connector/Net documentation...

Under the "Making a Connection" subheading it says to start Visual Studio and select 'MySQL Database' from the 'Choose Data Source' dialog. However there are no entries at all in that list that reference MySQL.

Yes, I realize this is Visual Web Developer not Visual Studio, but I figured out the minor differences in directions to get to the required dialogs.

Looks like Visual Studio Express doesn't know about the MySQL Connector/Net installation.

I also tried ripping the lot out and installing Connector/Net first then installing VWD2008 Express to see if it would pick the connector up, but no difference.

Any suggestions?

 

[JohnH]

Apologies to the Moderator for not putting this in the mySQL forum, but it's a very lonely place over there, and no responses!

That could mean (a) you're a pioneer, (b) you're the last Mohican, or (c) the tribe is elsewhere.

Under the "Making a Connection" subheading it says to start Visual Studio and select 'MySQL Database' from the 'Choose Data Source' dialog. However there are no entries at all in that list that reference MySQL.

Usually Express IDEs only integrate Sql and Access. That was the case last time I "tested" MySql in VB Express. I still could add the components to/from Toolbox and configure them in IDE and code the remaining. For learning experiences (when you don't know how to set things up yourself) it may be better to use the integrated databases.

 

[Comotose]

Hi John.

Well, I followed up your comment with some more searching and it seems that is indeed the case -- Visual Web Developer 2008 Express doesn't want to know anything about the MySQL Connector/Net, and neither Microsoft nor Sun seem to be very interested in doing anything about it or even explaining it clearly.

Once you start really looking into it, it becomes obvious that there is a lot of misinformation about using Connector/Net with the Express edition of VWD2008, and it's confusing a lot of people.

I don't mind learning how to do the connection in code, but it's annoying to waste so much time trying to get something to work that can't be made to work, despite many references to it being possible.

It seems that it might be useful to retrieve and reference one or more of the DLLs that are created by the installation of MySQL Connector/Net, but I haven't got that far yet.

But I suspect it might be possible to use a MySQL database in VWD2008 Express without reference to any externally sourced MySQL components.

More guidance from anyone actually doing this would certainly be most welcome.

Using a database other than MySQL is not an option because my "learning" project is converting Classic Asp pages one by one to aspx, and the MySQL database is an important part of the website.

 

[JohnH]

Visual Web Developer 2008 Express doesn't want to know anything about the MySQL Connector/Net, and neither Microsoft nor Sun seem to be very interested in doing anything about it or even explaining it clearly.

I think MySql/Connector would be insterested in better integration in Express if they could, but MS has limited the extensibility of these editions. In the windows client VB Express you can't even add a regular Sql db when using the wizard, only file-based Sql Express/Compact connections is possible there. That's how MS wants it with these free development tools, that still offers so much of the full product. The Express/Standard/Pro editions has a natural progression of features. IMO it's only fair that MS use the entry levels tools to introduce their own free db editions.