Different MySql.Data versions for designer and my application

I just downloaded latest Lightspeed 5 (Released: 7th March 2013, LightSpeedExpress.msi) and mysql-connector-net-6.6.5.msi for my database. I managed to get modelling round-trips to database and back working just fine. Using VS 2010. But when I start my WinForms application Lightspeed refused to load MySQL connector because it is never/different than the designer (modeller) had used. Lightspeed designer uses MySql.Data, Version=6.3.6.0. My application uses never MySql.Data, Version=6.6.5.0. After a bit googling around I understood the problem and how to fix it: change my reference to older MySql.Data that is distributed with Lightspeed. Not very elegant, I think. But it works.

But the must be better solution to fix this?

At least the loader should allow never assemblies to be loaded. I'm not a professional .NET programmer (previously used Visual Studio 6 for C++ a "few" years ago) so what's going under the hood is unfamiliar to me. More familiar with Java classloader hell :)

Call stack is:

System.IO.FileLoadException was unhandled HResult=-2146234304
Message=Could not load file or assembly 'MySql.Data, Version=6.3.6.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=c5687fc88969c44d' or one of its dependencies. The located assembly's manifest definition does not match the assembly reference. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x80131040)
Source=Mindscape.LightSpeed FileName=MySql.Data, Version=6.3.6.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=c5687fc88969c44d FusionLog==== Pre-bind state information === LOG: User = VAIO133\petays LOG: DisplayName = MySql.Data, Version=6.3.6.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=c5687fc88969c44d (Fully-specified) LOG: Appbase = file:///C:/Work/Forex/aXe3/AccountManagerFX/bin/Debug/ LOG: Initial PrivatePath = NULL Calling assembly : Mindscape.LightSpeed, Version=5.1.28.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=360c8f37b466ebb2. === LOG: This bind starts in default load context. LOG: Using application configuration file: C:\Work\Forex\aXe3\AccountManagerFX\bin\Debug\AccountManagerFX.vshost.exe.Config LOG: Using host configuration file: LOG: Using machine configuration file from C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\config\machine.config. LOG: Post-policy reference: MySql.Data, Version=6.3.6.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=c5687fc88969c44d LOG: Attempting download of new URL file:///C:/Work/Forex/aXe3/AccountManagerFX/bin/Debug/MySql.Data.DLL. WRN: Comparing the assembly name resulted in the mismatch: Minor Version ERR: Failed to complete setup of assembly (hr = 0x80131040). Probing terminated.

StackTrace: at .
.CreateCommandCore() at Mindscape.LightSpeed.Profiling.Interceptor.CreateCommand(Func1 baseCreator) at Mindscape.LightSpeed.Data.DataProviderAdapter.CreateCommand() at ...ctor(LightSpeedContext ) at Mindscape.LightSpeed.Data.DataProviderAdapter.CreateCommandBuilder(LightSpeedContext context) at Mindscape.LightSpeed.Data.DataProviderAdapter.CreateSelectCommandBuilder(LightSpeedContext context) at .
..ctor(IUnitOfWork , IEnumerable1 ) at Mindscape.LightSpeed.Data.DataProviderAdapter.CreateQueryExecutionStrategy(IUnitOfWork unitOfWork, IEnumerable`1 sqlStatements, ProviderOptions providerOptions) at ..?(TypeModel , Query , IList ) at ..?(UnitOfWorkBase , TypeModel , Query , IList ) at ..?(Query , TypeModel , IList ) at ..?(Query , IList ) at Mindscape.LightSpeed.UnitOfWork.Find(Query query, IList results) at Mindscape.LightSpeed.UnitOfWorkBase.Find(Query query) at AccountManagerFX.Program.Main() in C:\Work\Forex\aXe3\AccountManagerFX\Program.cs:line 42 at System.AppDomain.nExecuteAssembly(RuntimeAssembly assembly, String[] args) at System.AppDomain.ExecuteAssembly(String assemblyFile, Evidence assemblySecurity, String[] args) at Microsoft.VisualStudio.HostingProcess.HostProc.RunUsersAssembly() at System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStartContext(Object state) at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.RunInternal(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state, Boolean preserveSyncCtx) at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state, Boolean preserveSyncCtx) at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state) at System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart() InnerException:

Yes, you can use a binding redirect to cater for this. This is a framework feature which allows you to indicate that any requests for a specific assembly (identified by version/public key token etc) should be serviced by another version of that assembly.

So you will want to include something like this in your configuration to cater for the version difference:

<runtime>
   <assemblyBinding xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1">
     <dependentAssembly>
       <assemblyIdentity name="MySql.Data" publicKeyToken="c5687fc88969c44d" culture="neutral" />
       <bindingRedirect oldVersion="6.3.6.0" newVersion="6.6.5.0" />
     </dependentAssembly>
  </assemblyBinding>
</runtime>

Check that the publicKeyToken etc are correct, I am just using the information based on your exception info above.

Keep in mind if there are any actual interface differences between those versions you may end up getting exceptions due to a mismatch in what we expect so watch out for that, but usually most providers dont break things outside of major versions so we dont usually see any issues like this :)

Jeremy