Trying to use Mysql with .Net

[Sidro]

hi folks,
I am a newbie trying to hookup MySql to .Net, and I have some questions.
I'd successfully created a mini database with MySql for testing purpose. When I browsed the folder where my database was created, I noticed the folder has many files.
For instance, they got a file named db.opt, test.frm,names.myi,test.myb, ect..
The problem Im having is finding out which ones are the ones I will need to upload onto the server?
In the past I was using MS Access and, what I did was create a database, then upload the database onto the server. I dont know if its done the same way with MySql.

Another question is, I ran into 2 data providers.
The ODBC thats found in the Visual Studio 7 v1.1,
and the MySql Net connector thats on the MySql site.
My question is, which one is safer/more reliable? Which one is faster in performance wise? What do y'all recommend?
Thanks in advance.

 

[TonyGroves]

The critical files are test.frm which defines the table's structure, and test.myd which contains the table data. test.myi is the table's index file, which can be recreated any time with a REPAIR TABLE command.

You can upload those files to your production server if you have access to the server's filesystem. If you don't, then you would need to either (1) dump the tables to SQL command files using the "mysqldump" program, and then execute those files on the production server using the "mysql" program, or (2) export the data to delimited text files using a "SELECT INTO OUTFILE" query, then at the server end, recreate the tables and import the data using a "LOAD DATA" query.

I don't what the difference is between the ODBC and .Net drivers, but I would image that whichever driver is designed for the technology you're using would perform better. However, ODBC is more general-purpose, being supported by more applications.