[c#] How to connect to MySQL Database?

New to C# programming, I'd like to be able to access MySQL Databases.

I know MySQL connector/NET and MySQL for Visual Studio are required for C# development.
Do I need to install them into my app?
Is it possible I can just release the connector DLL with the program?

Update:
Are both of them required for the end-user or just the connector?
Is there anything else they would need?

you can use Package Manager to add it as package and it is the easiest way to do. You don't need anything else to work with mysql database.

Or you can run below command in Package Manager Console

PM> Install-Package MySql.Data

NUGET Mysql.Data

 private void Initialize()
    {
        server = "localhost";
        database = "connectcsharptomysql";
        uid = "username";
        password = "password";
        string connectionString;
        connectionString = "SERVER=" + server + ";" + "DATABASE=" + 
        database + ";" + "U`enter code here`ID=" + uid + ";" + "PASSWORD=" + password + ";";

        connection = new MySqlConnection(connectionString);
    }

Another library to consider is MySqlConnector, https://mysqlconnector.net/. Mysql.Data is under a GPL license, whereas MySqlConnector is MIT.

Looking at the code below, I tried it and found: Instead of writing DBCon = DBConnection.Instance(); you should put DBConnection DBCon - new DBConnection(); (That worked for me)

and instead of MySqlComman cmd = new MySqlComman(query, DBCon.GetConnection()); you should put MySqlCommand cmd = new MySqlCommand(query, DBCon.GetConnection()); (it's missing the d)

Install Oracle's MySql.Data NuGet package.

using MySql.Data;
using MySql.Data.MySqlClient;

namespace Data
{
    public class DBConnection
    {
        private DBConnection()
        {
        }

        public string Server { get; set; }
        public string DatabaseName { get; set; }
        public string UserName { get; set; }
        public string Password { get; set; }

        private MySqlConnection Connection { get; set;}

        private static DBConnection _instance = null;
        public static DBConnection Instance()
        {
            if (_instance == null)
                _instance = new DBConnection();
           return _instance;
        }
    
        public bool IsConnect()
        {
            if (Connection == null)
            {
                if (String.IsNullOrEmpty(databaseName))
                    return false;
                string connstring = string.Format("Server={0}; database={1}; UID={2}; password={3}", Server, DatabaseName, UserName, Password);
                Connection = new MySqlConnection(connstring);
                Connection.Open();
            }
    
            return true;
        }
    
        public void Close()
        {
            Connection.Close();
        }        
    }
}

Example:

var dbCon = DBConnection.Instance();
dbCon.Server = "YourServer";
dbCon.DatabaseName = "YourDatabase";
dbCon.UserName = "YourUsername";
dbCon.Password = "YourPassword";
if (dbCon.IsConnect())
{
    //suppose col0 and col1 are defined as VARCHAR in the DB
    string query = "SELECT col0,col1 FROM YourTable";
    var cmd = new MySqlCommand(query, dbCon.Connection);
    var reader = cmd.ExecuteReader();
    while(reader.Read())
    {
        string someStringFromColumnZero = reader.GetString(0);
        string someStringFromColumnOne = reader.GetString(1);
        Console.WriteLine(someStringFromColumnZero + "," + someStringFromColumnOne);
    }
    dbCon.Close();
}

You must to download MySQLConnection NET from here.

Then you need add MySql.Data.DLL to MSVisualStudio like this:

1. Open menu project
2. Add
3. Reference
4. Browse to C:\Program Files (x86)\MySQL\MySQL Connector Net 8.0.12\Assemblies\v4.5.2
5. Add MySql.Data.dll

If you want to know more visit: enter link description here

To use in the code you must import the library:

using MySql.Data.MySqlClient;

An example with connectio to Mysql database (NO SSL MODE) by means of Click event:

using System;
using System.Windows;
using MySql.Data.MySqlClient;


namespace Deportes_WPF
{

public partial class Login : Window
{
    private MySqlConnection connection;
    private string server;
    private string database;
    private string user;
    private string password;
    private string port;
    private string connectionString;
    private string sslM;

    public Login()
    {
        InitializeComponent();

        server = "server_name";
        database = "database_name";
        user = "user_id";
        password = "password";
        port = "3306";
        sslM = "none";

        connectionString = String.Format("server={0};port={1};user id={2}; password={3}; database={4}; SslMode={5}", server, port, user, password, database, sslM);

        connection = new MySqlConnection(connectionString);
    }

    private void conexion()
    {
        try
        {
            connection.Open();

            MessageBox.Show("successful connection");

            connection.Close();
        }
        catch (MySqlException ex)
        {
            MessageBox.Show(ex.Message + connectionString);
        }
    }

    private void btn1_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
    {
        conexion();
    }
  }

}