Visual Studio 2017 not showing MySQL in connection list

Question

I am using "Visual Studio 2017 Professional". I can not get a project to recognize that MySQL is an available DB option. MySQL does not show up in the list of possible connections when I create a new model. I know that there are tons of SO questions and other web pages on this topic because I have tried a lot of the suggestions. Each is subtlety different in cause and solution. None of the solutions seem to work for me.

I have tried the following with VS 2017 and 2015 with the same results. I have older versions of VS available but it didn't seem worthwhile to march that far back. I have also tried installing the latest and older versions of MySQL both with the "Community Installer" and the standalone msi's when necessary. I went back to the "latest" pre-6.10 version of MySQL.

To begin, this saga started last week when I noticed that nuget had MySQL package updates available. I applied them and then went to upgrade the installed MySQL componants with the Community Installer. The nuget changes did apply. The Community Installer could not uninstall MySQL for VS though. The system installer could not uninstall it. Rebooting and power-cycling did nothing.

On the advice of our local tech support folks I used a third party uninstaller that turned out to be more aggressive than we imagined. It seems to have randomly stommped across the registry erasing whatever it found. Long story short(er), I ended up having my machine reimaged. So, I have a fresh windows install.

Given the fresh Win10 platform, I installed the various things I normally use including the VS versions I typically use. I installed the latest Community MySQL installer. I did a "custom" MySQL install because I don't need a server on this device or fabric or many other things.

I finished the basic reinstall of everything then rebooted just to be sure. I started VS 2017 and created a new web app with the latest available version of .Net (4.6.1). I applied nuget updates and added EntityFramework and MySQL.Data. I then tried to create a new "code first" model.

I can get to the point where I am asked to create a connection. When I click the button the list of available DB providers only shows MS SQL.

I have seen the articles that say to add lines to Web.config and I have seen the MySQL .Net Connector docs that say the same things. I can see the MySQL entries in Web.config but they do not show up when creating a connection.

An oddity is that I can go to Tools -> Connect to Database and see EVERY DB type my machine knows about including MySQL. I can create the connection string and it works. I can see the DB in "Server Explorer` but that doesn't make it available to code.

Ok, I have followed the above steps over and over including downgrading the version of EntityFramework as well as the MySQL version.

My most recent attempt has me back to the latest version of VS and MySQL. The relevant (I think) section of the Web.config file follow. Note the defaultConnectionFactory entry is LocalDbConnectionFactory . I have changed that to SqlConnectionFactory but it has not made a difference. I have also changed the order of the providers and the order of the major blocks.

<entityFramework>
    <defaultConnectionFactory type="System.Data.Entity.Infrastructure.LocalDbConnectionFactory, EntityFramework">
      <parameters>
        <parameter value="mssqllocaldb" />
      </parameters>
    </defaultConnectionFactory>
    <providers>
      <provider invariantName="System.Data.SqlClient"
                type="System.Data.Entity.SqlServer.SqlProviderServices, EntityFramework.SqlServer" />
      <provider invariantName="MySql.Data.MySqlClient"
                type="MySql.Data.MySqlClient.MySqlProviderServices, MySql.Data.Entity.EF6, Version=6.10.6.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=c5687fc88969c44d">
      </provider>
    </providers>
</entityFramework>
<system.data>
    <DbProviderFactories>
      <remove invariant="MySql.Data.MySqlClient" />
      <add description=".Net Framework Data Provider for MySQL" invariant="MySql.Data.MySqlClient"
           name="MySQL Data Provider"
           type="MySql.Data.MySqlClient.MySqlClientFactory, MySql.Data, Version=6.10.6.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=c5687fc88969c44d" />
    </DbProviderFactories>
</system.data>

Edit

My current impression is that VS 2017 is an unusable mess masquerading as a released, salable product. I have returned to 2015.

I have come closer to getting this to work in 2015. I have the latest MySQL items for VS and .Net installed. I have downgraded the nuget EF package to 6.0 and the MySql packages to 6.8.8.

In, what I am now calling, "the good old days" I could add a new model to an MVC project by selecting the Models folder; selecting "Add New Item"; choosing ADO.Net model; select a connection option (MySQL); enter the connection info; choose DB First or Code First and wait for the scaffolding fun to finish.

Now, I have to first go to Tools -> Connect to Database and create a conenction to a MySql DB. If I do not do this I will not see MySQL in the list of possible connections later. I then clean and build the project. Next i try to create the model as above. Noe I can see the MySQL connection option and I can enter the DB creds and test the connection.

The next step is to choose DB First or Code First. In either case, clicking the "next" button flashes a blank pop-up that then vanishes. No errors are shown and no connection is made.

It was never this hard in the past.

I have tried a lot of different MySQL and EF versions on 2015 and 2017 at this point. If there is a magic combo please tell me.

Answer 1

I have been fighting this fight for two weeks. I FINALLY found a combo of versions that works for me. The following was applied to a pristine re-image of my Win10 desktop two weeks ago. All patches were applied to system software before starting to deal with MySql.

Just this morning I re-read the post in this thread (MySql Forums): https://forums.mysql.com/read.php?174,659102,660369#msg-660369

I thought that I had tried those suggestions before but I must have messed up one of the versions. I think that poster's basic strategy is sound. In my case I uninstalled all local MySql parts and the installer.

I downloaded MySQL for Visual Studio - the Latest Development version (2.0.5 msi as of this writing) and installed that.

I found the OLD versions of the .Net Connector and installed 6.9.11

In VS 2017 I created a dummy project using .Net 4.6.1.

I applied pending VS updates.

I built the project.

I went to "Project -> Manage Nuget Packages" and installed / downgraded EntityFramework to 6.0.

I installed MySql.Data, MySql.Data.Entity and MySql.Web all at version 6.9.11

I cleaned and built the project then tried to add a new "Code First" model from a MySql DB... IT WORKED!

Answer 2

Thank you 7 Reeds for coming back with an answer. It led me to get it working, although I did it slightly differently.

In VS 2017 to connect to MySQL 5.6:

1. Uninstall any MySQL products from the machine
2. Set Target framework to .NET Framework 4.5.2
3. Uninstall EntityFramework and any MySQL packages in Nuget

4. Install MySql.Data.Entity (6.10.7)

   It will also install the needed versions of the Nuget packages MySql.Data (6.10.7), EntityFramework (6.1.3), and BouncyCastle (1.8.3.1).

   The MySql.Data.Entity package says it depends of Google.Protobuf, but it didn't install it and it works fine for me.

   It added References in my project to BouncyCastle.Crypto (1.8.3.0), EntityFramework (6.0.0.0), MySQL.Data (6.10.7.0), and MySql.Data.Entity.EF6 (6.10.7.0).

5. Close Visual studio

6. Install 'MySQL for Visual Studio' (1.2.8)
7. Install 'Connector/NET' (6.10.7)
8. Delete the bin and obj folders
9. Open Visual Studio and Rebuild Solution
10. Add New Item > ADO.NET Entity Data Model > Now you're in the wizard
11. Select EF Designer from database
12. On the next screen ('Entity Data Model Wizard'), click New Connection...
13. On the 'Connection Properties' screen click the Change... button for the 'Data source'
14. You should be able to select the MySQL Database as the 'Data source'
15. The 'Data provider' should auto-populate with .NET Framework Data Provider for MySQL
16. Yay! Continue on like you normally would

For posterity, here's the app.config for my WPF application:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<configuration>
  <configSections>

    <section name="entityFramework" type="System.Data.Entity.Internal.ConfigFile.EntityFrameworkSection, EntityFramework, Version=6.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" requirePermission="false" />
  <!-- For more information on Entity Framework configuration, visit http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=237468 --></configSections>
  <startup>
    <supportedRuntime version="v4.0" sku=".NETFramework,Version=v4.5.2" />
  </startup>
  <entityFramework>
    <defaultConnectionFactory type="System.Data.Entity.Infrastructure.LocalDbConnectionFactory, EntityFramework">
      <parameters>
        <parameter value="v13.0" />
      </parameters>
    </defaultConnectionFactory>
    <providers>
      <provider invariantName="System.Data.SqlClient" type="System.Data.Entity.SqlServer.SqlProviderServices, EntityFramework.SqlServer" />
      <provider invariantName="MySql.Data.MySqlClient" type="MySql.Data.MySqlClient.MySqlProviderServices, MySql.Data.Entity.EF6, Version=6.10.7.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=c5687fc88969c44d" />
    </providers>
  </entityFramework>
  <runtime>
    <assemblyBinding xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1">
      <dependentAssembly>
        <assemblyIdentity name="MySql.Data" publicKeyToken="c5687fc88969c44d" culture="neutral" />
        <bindingRedirect oldVersion="0.0.0.0-6.10.7.0" newVersion="6.10.7.0" />
      </dependentAssembly>
    </assemblyBinding>
  </runtime>
  <connectionStrings>
    <add name="MyDB" connectionString="metadata=res://*/Model1.csdl|res://*/Model1.ssdl|res://*/Model1.msl;provider=MySql.Data.MySqlClient;provider connection string=&quot;server=my.example.com;user id=NotMyRealUserID;password=NotMyRealPassword;persistsecurityinfo=True;database=MyDatabase&quot;" providerName="System.Data.EntityClient" />
  </connectionStrings>
</configuration>

I'm not sure what created this, but I have a 'User variable' in my 'Environment Variables' named MYSQLCONNECTOR_ASSEMBLIESPATH with value C:\\Program Files (x86)\\MySQL\\MySQL Connector Net 6.10.7\\Assemblies\\v4.5.2

Answer 3

At appsettings.json:

"ConnectionStrings": { "DefaultConnection": "Server=localhost;database=MusicStoreDB;user id=root;Charset=utf8;" },

At ConfigureServices() in Startup.cs :

using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore; using MySql.Data.MySqlClient; using Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration; using Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection;

... services.AddDbContext(options => options.UseMySQL(Configuration.GetConnectionString("DefaultConnection")));

Note: Change to: UseMysql <-------------- When using Pompelo EntityFrameworkCore