Database Access

Mono has many ADO.NET Data Providers to get you connected. Find the database you want to connect to and follow the link for instructions on how to set it up, as well as sample code for accessing the database.

Providers for Open Source databases:

  • PostgreSQL: Npgsql is a managed provider for PostgreSQL
  • SQLite: provider for SQLite (http://www.sqlite.org) versions 2 and 3. Requires native sqlite library.
  • Firebird Interbase: managed provider for Firebird
  • MySQL: MySQL Connector/Net (http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/connector/net/) is the recommended provider for MySQL from MySQL (http://www.mysql.com/). ByteFX.Data.MySqlClient is no longer maintained.

Providers for commercial databases:

  • Mimer SQL Mimer Data Provider for Mimer SQL, from Mimer [1] (http://developer.mimer.com/platforms/productinfo_39.htm)
  • ODBC requires ODBC software which is available for Unix and Windows
  • Oracle provider for Oracle 8i, 9i and 10g and requires Oracle client software
  • Microsoft SQL Server managed provider for Microsoft SQL Server 7.0, 2000 and 2005 databases
  • Sybase managed provider for Sybase ASE 12.0 and up databases

Commercially Supported Providers:

  • VistaDB (http://www.vistadb.com) The VistaDB embeddable and commercial library.
  • OpenLink Software (http://www.openlinksw.com/) has High-Performance, Fully Managed .NET Data Providers for Major Databases which you can download (http://oplweb.openlinksw.com:8080/download/).

Open Source Providers:

  • MySQL Connector/Net from MySQL AB (http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/connector/net/) is the recommended .NET and Mono data provider for MySQL
  • NPgsql (http://npgsql.projects.postgresql.org/) is a fully managed provider for PostgreSQL and is included with Mono.
  • Firebird (http://sourceforge.net/projects/firebird/) fully managed provider for Firebird databases and is included with Mono.
  • Advanced Data Provider (http://advanced-ado.sourceforge.net/) ADP, is a transparent factory for ADO.NET which loads providers dynamically.
  • MaxDB MaxDB database.

Object Persistent Libraries and Object Databases

  • db4o (http://www.mono-project.com/DB4O) is an open source object database for .NET and Mono, a non-intrusive persistence system that stores any complex object with one single line of code.
  • NHibernate (http://wiki.nhibernate.org/display/NH/Home) NHibernate is a .NET based object persistence library for relational databases. NHibernate is a port of the excellent Java Hibernate relational persistence tool.

Database Tools

  • MonoDevelop Database (http://www.monodevelop.com/) - an Add-In to MonoDevelop providing a SQL Query and Database Browser tool.
  • SqlSharpGtk (http://developer.novell.com/wiki/index.php/Sqlsharpgtk) - SQL Query and Database Browser tool written in Gtk#. It is included in the Combined Mono and Gtk# Windows Installer. Once installed, it can be found in the Start menu under Applications and Sql# GTK.

Unmaintained Providers in Mono: