dotConnect for MySQL 5.20

Major Advantages:

1. Wide Coverage of MySQL Features
   By providing access to the most advanced database functionality, dotConnect for MySQL allows developers to harness the full capabilities of the MySQL server and optimize their database applications. dotConnect for MySQL stands out as the set of components with the widest support of MySQL functionality.
   
2. Flexible Connectivity
   dotConnect for MySQL has widest possible connectivity options. It can operate in Direct mode without MySQL client library and in Client mode with usage of libmysql.dll. dotConnect for MySQL utilizes Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol, Secure Shell (SSH) protocol, as well as connections through proxy servers and HTTP tunnels. dotConnect for MySQL supports all MySQL server versions since 3.23, including MySQL Embedded Server.
   
3. Optimized Code
   The goal of dotConnect for MySQL is to enable developers to write efficient and flexible database applications. The dotConnect for MySQL assemblies are implemented using optimized code and advanced data access algorithms. Components undergo comprehensive performance tests and are designed to help you write thin and efficient product data access layers.
   
4. Comprehensive Support for ADO.NET Technology Features
   dotConnect for MySQL supports new ADO.NET features and technologies as soon as they are released. This includes base-class-based provider model, provider factories, connection string builder, metadata schemas, asynchronous commands, pooling enhancements, batch update support, provider-specific types, server enumeration, database change notification support and so on. dotConnect for MySQL will continue supporting the newest standards and innovations of the .NET Framework.
   
5. Database Application Development Extensions
   dotConnect for MySQL has rich set of design time tools that leverage the development process greatly. Particularly, there are convenient design time component editors, wizards and managers for typed MySQL-specific components, toolset for live data binding and much more. dotConnect for MySQL integrates tightly with Visual Studio 2005/2008, Delphi, and SQL Server 2005 Business Intelligence Solutions. Last, but not least, there is dbForge Fusion for MySQL to design your database schema and manipulate table data - all within your favorite IDE.
   
6. Provider-Specific Technologies
   dotConnect for MySQL has extra components designed to simplify some tasks and support MySQL-specific technologies. Particularly, MySqlScript serves to execute series of SQL statements, MySqlLoader serves to load external data into MySQL databases, and MySqlDump serves to backup or restore a whole database or its parts.
   
7. ADO.NET Entity Framework Support
   
   • ADO.NET Entity Framework is a conceptual approach to database application development with focus on objects instead of relational data. The flexible architecture of Entity Framework is made up of well-thought layers and modules. Entity Framework optimizes the development process with object-relational mapping, SQL-based entity query language, and LINQ. See our Entity Framework tutorial for a quick start with the technology.
   • dotConnect for MySQL fully supports the Entity Framework capabilities, which allows you to base your object-oriented applications on MySQL. dotConnect for MySQL includes a set of demos to use as a starting point. All standard Entity Framework samples can be easily ported to dotConnect for MySQL.
8. LINQ Support
   dotConnect for MySQL includes support for LINQ to MySQL technology. The technology allows you to employ object-oriented database application development with less efforts and in less time. Compared to ADO.NET Entity Framework, LINQ to MySQL is better suited for RAD-style development, is easier to start with, and somewhat richer with server-oriented features like server-specific types. See our LINQ to MySQL tutorial for a quick start with the technology.
   
9. Both Connected and Disconnected Models
   dotConnect for MySQL combines connected and disconnected data access models in single MySqlDataTable component, which allows you to design more flexible application architecture and use full power of data binding.

Major Features:

1. General usability
   • Direct access to server data. Does not require MySQL client library
   • Real RAD for database applications
   • Fully compliant with ADO.NET
   • 100% managed code
   • Highly usable design time support
   • Easy to deploy
2. Network and connectivity
   • In Direct mode does not require MySQL client library and works directly through TCP/IP
   • Both connected and disconnected data access models
   • SSL connection to MySQL server
   • SSH client forwarding protocol
   • Connection through proxy servers
   • Connection through HTTP tunnels
   • Support for compression protocol
   • Unicode connections
3. Compatibility
   • Full support of the latest versions of MySQL, including Embedded Server
   • Full support for x64 architecture
   • .NET Compact Framework support
   • Mono Framework support
   • Visual Studio .NET 2005 and 2008 support
   • CodeGear Delphi 2007 support
   • SQL Server 2005 Business Intelligence Solutions support
4. MySQL technology support
   • All MySQL data types support
   • Stored procedures support
   • Returning result sets from stored procedures
   • View editing
   • MySqlDump component to store a database or its parts as a script and then restore it
   • MySqlLoader component for fast loading data
   • Support for multiple query execution
   • Fill DataSet with multiple query
   • Ability to store data in MySqlDataReader object in FetchAll mode
   • Session identifer retrieval for session management
5. Performance
   • High overall performance
   • Intelligent fetch block size control
   • Advanced connection pooling
   • High performance batch processing
   • Support for the prepared statements in the protocol for maximum performance
6. ADO.NET technology support
   • Full support for ADO.NET Entity Framework [New]
   • Server enumeration
   • Batch update support
   • Extended metadata information retrieval
   • Advanced CommandBuilder component with automatic refresh SQL
   • Enhanced pooling control through connection string
   • Connection string builder
   • Provider factory for generating key data access classes
   • Asynchronous command execution
   • Provider-specific types support
   • Password change API
   • Database Change Notification Support
   • Possibility to retrieve last auto-incremented value
   • Retrieval of output parameters from stored procedures and functions
7. ADO.NET Entity Framework
   • Conceptual approach to enterprise development
   • High performance
   • Wide support for LINQ to Entities capabilities
   • Wide support for EntitySQL
   • Full CRUD (Create, Retrieve, Update, Delete) support
   • Wide support for server data types
   • Change tracking support
   • Object data caching
   • Inheritance mapping support (TPH, TPT, and TPCT models)
   • Capability to use stored procedures when manipulating data
   • Stored procedure import support
   • Ability to build database-independent applications
   • Visual Studio EDM Wizard support
   • Reverse engineering of database objects to entity model
   • Visual model creation and code generation with Entity Developer [New]
   • Illustrated tutorial to get started with Entity Framework in 5 minutes [New]
8. LINQ to MySQL  [New]
   • Easy to use
   • High performance
   • Interchangeable with Microsoft LINQ to SQL
   • Plain CLR classes used (no need to use a common base class)
   • Full CRUD (Create, Retrieve, Update, Delete) support
   • Change tracking support
   • Object data caching
   • Data binding support
   • Wide support for LINQ capabilities
   • Wide support for server data types
   • Load on demand (lazy load)
   • Database transactions support
   • Inheritance mapping support (table per hierarchy model)
   • Server-independent interface
   • Visual model creation and code generation with Entity Developer
   • Illustrated tutorial to get started with LINQ to MySQL in 5 minutes [New]
9. Extended data access technologies and functionality
   • Powerful MySqlDataTable component for manipulating individual tables or query result
   • NonBlocking mode allows fetching data asynchronously in the background
   • On-demand data fetch for data-bound controls
   • Paginal access to query result
   • Server side master-detail relation based on queries
   • Ability to refresh individual records in MySqlDataTable component
   • Support for Enterprise Library Data Access Application Block (DAAB)
   • Object-oriented building of SELECT statements
   • Extended warning and error information retrieval
   • Extended interface for processing execution exceptions
   • MySqlDataAdapter.Fill method with sequential fetch support
   • Ability to defer fetching of some columns in a resultset
10. WinForms-specific features
    • Flexible data binding with DataLink component
    • InterForm technology for cross-form components cooperation
    • Global position synchronization within a data source
11. ASP.NET-specific features
    • ASP.NET data providers: Membership, Role, Session State, Profile, Personalization, Site Map, Web Event
    • MySqlDataSource web component
    • MySqlCacheDependency component to control Cache item dependencies in ASP.NET applications
    • Data provider and set of data access modules for DotNetNuke
12. Script execution
    • Advanced script execution features with MySqlScript component
    • Support for executing individual statements in scripts
    • Support for executing huge scripts stored in files with dynamic loading
    • SQL execution monitoring
    • Extended SQL tracing capabilities with MySqlMonitor component
    • Support for DBMonitor utility for advanced tracing analysis and control
    • Per-component SQL tracing
    • Optional log output to IDE toolwindows
13. Design-time enhancements
    • Automatic component registration in toolbox
    • Advanced integration with Visual Studio 2005/2008, including Server Explorer, Data Source wizard, TableAdapter configuration, Query Builder and configuring web component MySqlDataSource
    • DataSet Wizard to create and edit typed MySQL-oriented datasets
    • DataSet Manager to list and bind datasets in the project
    • DataSet Editor to edit dataset contents
    • Advanced design-time component and property editors
    • IntelliSense descriptions for dotConnect for MySQL classes
    • Easy migration from ODBC and OLE DB .NET Data Providers with Migration Wizard
    • Syntax highlighting in design-time editors
    • TableMappings editor
    • Convenient instant data preview and management in design time
14. dbForge Fusion for MySQL main features
    • Integration with dotConnect for MySQL for enhanced component designers and drag and drop features
    • Stored routines and SQL script debugger
    • SQL code completion and navigation
    • Visual query builder
    • Database Explorer
    • Visual object editors
    • Database search engine
    • Code template library
    • Security Manager
    • Session Manager
    • Export/Import Wizards
15. Product clarity
    • Complete documentation sets integrated into Visual Studio and CodeGear Delphi
    • Integration with Visual Studio and MSDN help collections
    • Documentation available as a standalone chm file
    • A large amount of helpful demos in C#, VB, C++, and Delphi
16. Licensing and support
    • Included annual dotConnect for MySQL Subscription with Priority Support
    • Licensed royalty-free per developer, per team, or per site

Enhancements:

1. New features
   • The Charset property supported
   • The PingInterval property for connection maintaining supported
2. LINQ to MySQL
   • Supported extended errors processing
   • Supported DataLoadOptions class and Include method for tuning data loading
   • Supported DeferredLoadingEnable functionality
   • Supported function import
   • Supported stored procedures as insert/update/delete behavior
   • Supported user-defined functions in selection part of a query
   • Supported CreateDatabase() and DeleteDatabase() methods
   • Supported SqlMethods class
   • Supported returning new Dictionary from query
3. Entity Developer 2.00
   • Supported Entity Framework
   • Supported stored procedures and functions for LINQ to SQL
   • Added naming rules for database objects
   • Added Visual Studio integration
   • Stability and performance improvements
   • Validation schema improved
   • Entity Framework Complex Type supported
   • Entity Framework Storage Model editing supported
   • Many-to-Many associations retrieving added
   • Usability improvements 

Requirements: .NET Framework