22.2.5. Connector/Net Programming

22.2.5.1. Connecting to MySQL Using Connector/Net
22.2.5.2. Creating a Connector/Net Connection String
22.2.5.3. Using MySqlCommand
22.2.5.4. Using Connector/Net with Connection Pooling
22.2.5.5. Using the Windows Native Authentication Plugin
22.2.5.6. Writing a Custom Authentication Plugin
22.2.5.7. Using Connector/Net with Table Caching
22.2.5.8. Using the Connector/Net with Prepared Statements
22.2.5.9. Accessing Stored Procedures with Connector/Net
22.2.5.10. Handling BLOB Data With Connector/Net
22.2.5.11. Using the Connector/Net Interceptor Classes
22.2.5.12. Handling Date and Time Information in Connector/Net
22.2.5.13. Using the MySqlBulkLoader Class
22.2.5.14. Using the MySQL Connector/Net Trace Source Object
22.2.5.15. Binary/Nonbinary Issues
22.2.5.16. Character Set Considerations for Connector/Net
22.2.5.17. Using Connector/Net with Crystal Reports
22.2.5.18. ASP.NET Provider Model
22.2.5.19. Working with Partial Trust / Medium Trust

Connector/Net comprises several classes that are used to connect to the database, execute queries and statements, and manage query results.

The following are the major classes of Connector/Net:

MySqlCommand: Represents an SQL statement to execute against a MySQL database.
MySqlCommandBuilder: Automatically generates single-table commands used to reconcile changes made to a DataSet with the associated MySQL database.
MySqlConnection: Represents an open connection to a MySQL Server database.
MySqlDataAdapter: Represents a set of data commands and a database connection that are used to fill a data set and update a MySQL database.
MySqlDataReader: Provides a means of reading a forward-only stream of rows from a MySQL database.
MySqlException: The exception that is thrown when MySQL returns an error.
MySqlHelper: Helper class that makes it easier to work with the provider.
MySqlTransaction: Represents an SQL transaction to be made in a MySQL database.

In the following sections, you will learn about some common use cases for Connector/Net, including BLOB handling, date handling, and using Connector/Net with common tools such as Crystal Reports.