Well, in this article I’m going do describe step-by-step how-to add Firebird .NET Data Provider into Visual Studio 2005. So I assume, I have downloaded and installed the provider (be sure that’s for .NET2).
- You have to download the VS SDK (not the Framework SDK). It’s available on MSDN.
It’s not the standard part of installation. - Check whether (installation should add them in) the provider assemblies are in GAC (you can use the gacutil util from provider directory or the Framework GUI). You have to focus to FirebirdSql.Data.FirebirdClient (gacutil.exe /l FirebirdSql.Data.FirebirdClient).
- Locate your machine.config and add into <configuration> -> <configSections>
add <section name=”firebirdsql.data.firebirdclient” type=”System.Data.Common.DbProviderConfigurationHandler, System.Data, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=PublicKeyToken_of_System.Data_assembly” />. - Into <system.data> -> <DbProviderFactories> add <add name=”FirebirdClient Data Provider” invariant=”FirebirdSql.Data.FirebirdClient” description=”.Net Framework Data Provider for Firebird” type=”FirebirdSql.Data.FirebirdClient.FirebirdClientFactory, FirebirdSql.Data.FirebirdClient, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=PublicKeyToken_of_your_FB_client_assembly” />.
- Then open the FirebirdDDEXProvider.reg file and replace the %Path% variable with the correct path for your installation, i.e.: C:Program FilesFirebirdClient , and load it into the registry (also check whether all entries were successfuly added).
But! If you’re adding the path to the reg file you have input C:\Program Files\FirebirdClient (backslash the backslashes).
Now you can startup the VS and try to add database to Database Explorer toolbox. If you will follow these steps exactly, you have 99,9% chance for success. 
PS: Sorry for my English. 
Thank you for the insight. I have tried several times to do the steps as listed, but never paided attention to the need of VS SDK. Works like a charm now.
Steven
I have followed the steps. I can see .NET Framework Data Provider for Firebird in the data connections -> choose data source window.
test connection is successful.
but clicking OK gives: "Failure has occured while loading a type"
any ideas?
Yes, same for me, "Failure has occured while loading a type". And it is right that on the test connection screen olny appears a ConnectionString property? Also, even if I leave that "ConnectionString " property empty, cliking on "Test connection" give me a "test connection is sucessful"…
I think there’s some problem with test connection (I think only SYSDBA is working …). It’s reported and (maybe) solved in CVS now.
Just try to add connection, without testing.
Or maybe you have some chaos in assemblies. Try to do clean install provider.
by just creating connection, without test connection, gives the same error.
where is possible to download the latest CVS?
I have just followed the download link from http://www.ibphoenix.com ->main downloads ->.net provider
do I need to write database username/password into connection string (SYSDBA, masterkey)?
how ?
so far I just put database path localhost:c:\mydir\mygdb.gdb
could this be the reason for getting Failure has occured while loading a type?
ad CVS> latest srcs are on sourceforge’s CVS server
ad password> yes, of course!
how to install the latest version of .NET provider from CVS?
http://cvs.sourceforge.net/viewcvs.py/firebird/NETProvider/NETProvider_20/
there is no setup.exe in any of those directories.
You have to compile it yourself.
How?
this configuration is valid for Microsoft Visual Web Developer
I think yes. But be sure, that branches in .reg file are OK.
Has anybody got this to work with VWD express? I do all this and managed to install the october 2005 sdk (april doesn’t find Visual studio and refuses to install) but still get an error message "Field not found: System.collections.generic.keyvaluepair`2.value" either trying to create a new connection or using an existing one. I’ve looked at the source and cant see why it’s doing this. Have even tried rebuilding it and still no luck. Any ideas??
I have used VWD express . and how to config
firebird .net data provider. Since I did now work properly.
For this time, it seems to be not possible use it with Express Ed.
But on list we’re working on it.
i did (installed vssdkmarch2005, net framework 2.0, firebird client 2.0-rc2 and i did readmeddex ) but i always take this error message "An unexpected error occurred in the .netframework data provider for firebird. please contact the provider vendor to resolve this problem." can anbody help me?
Well, this isn’t the best (but not wrong) place to ask this. Probably better is the firebird-net-provider list, where we can discuss and (I hope) solve the problem.
i solve problem but when i insert sqldatasource and i select a query builder i can’t see my tables. But i write manual "select * from mytable" in the gridview i see al tables field’s data. And i can not write insert and update command they dont run. how can i solve this and how can i do insert and update command don’t write a code like sqlserver?
And in Server Explorer works everything ok? If not, your DDEX for FB isn’t ok.
in server explorer not running everything. For example on table i right click ,there is no add new table button. And When i add a data table and in select query properties i give this error message = "column ordinal_position does not belong table columns" so i thing that generated insert statement is not working.
So the provider isn’t installed ok.
How i am going to install i did not understand pls help me if you tell step by step i will be so happy thanx for everything. (ste_ganos@hotmail.com pls if you have a doc about this subject send this e-mail)
I would like to use FB provider with VS2005 but as ste_ganos I got "An unexpected error occurred in the .netframework data provider for firebird. please contact the provider vendor to resolve this problem." allways.
ste_ganos: How did you resolve the problem ?
UPDATE:
I got working with fresh VS2005 (pro) and VS/SDK (march) install but when I tell to VS to generate INSERT, UPDATE & DELETE it gives me the following errors:
Generated INSERT statement.
Failed to find or load the registered .Net Framework Data Provider.
Same for UPDATE & DELETE.
¿Some advice?
Have you registered provider into GAC and machine.config with right values? Is the SDK correctly installed (try some stable version whether you’ve installed some preview)?
By the way, I’m using FB .Net provider RC4 downloaded yesterday.
Regards.
Can you add (and work with) database connection in Server Explorer?
If not, there’s something wrong with your installation.
BTW to machine.config and GAC see (once more) the steps in post on top.
FWIW, reinstalling all (VS, VS SDK, FB provider) make the trick.
Hi…
I’ve done all steps in the article.. using April 2006 sdk… Server Explorer -> Data Connections -> Add Connection ; Then i select Firebird Data Source; But whenever i’ve tried to change the value of a control in the dialog box it disappears…(only happens with firebird data source)…By the way can i use this for Interbase 7.1…
i have problem with firebird
sometimes when i tried to connect to my database an error tell me that "i/o error create file(open) "
why?
ý’ve same prob which Melih Okursoy wrote, when i’ve tried to change the value of a control in the dialog box it disappears, do you have any idea about that.
Hi: Can I use the Firebird .NET provider without using the DDEX?
I try, only by referencing the Firebirdcliente but it give me some error.
It’s necessary any other Step?
<Remarks>I don’t need the DDEX</Remarks>
2 rdiazc:
Of course you can. You will just create FbCommand, FbConnection, etc. and add using statement to your assembly and add reference to location where your FB provider assembly is.
I have the same problem with the dialog box. When I try to edit any of the fields the dialog box just closes! Any ideas?
Dan
I have followed all the steps except first step. I want to use the DDE with my VWD installation. Any idea to make it work with VWD.
Any idea to make it working with VWD
Same problem as everybody else with the dialog closing…
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What exactly DDEX provides?
I can do drag & drop of FdbConnection. but I cannot take designer support to create dataset for firebird database table. Does it mean that, I am not utilizing DDEX support fully?
If you create typed dataset designer, can you drop in some table?
You should put there the PublicKeyToken the PublicKeyToken of the System.Data assembly and of the one of the provider assembly (FirebirdSql.Data.FirebirdClient) both info can be reviewed in the GAC propoerties of each assembly
Hi, works like a charm. But i try to use my Firebird DB in Crystal Reports, but i can access the DB. If I try to setup a new connection Firebird is not in the list of available providers. Seems the same problem before doing the trick of this site in SQLDatasource. Any ideas ?
I also got "Failure has occured while loading a type". It was fixed by changing the registry entry for InprocServer32 from mscoree.dll to C:\WINDOWS\system32\mscoree.dll, and then restarting Visual Studio 2005.
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I have install firebird .net data provide, create new connection at crystal report no any list… any idealWorking properly at vs2005
I made the installation of the DDEX for Firebird in the Visual Studio 2005 and everything functioned, only that when I go to make the configuration of the bank the configuration screen if closes. Somebody knows as can decide this problem?
This is why I’ve completely given up with open source applications. They’re just soooooo difficult, picky and unsupported in general.IMHO, you get what you pay for.
Open Source != free (or not paid). Firebird has Firebird Foundation and FF supports (grants) some Firebird developers.
Pessoal, No dia 14/07, sábado, a Microsoft e o MSDN Brasil estiveram presentes no 4o FDD (Firebird Developers
Pessoal, No dia 14/07, sábado, a Microsoft e o MSDN Brasil estiveram presentes no 4o FDD (Firebird Developers
Some months ago I was writing about installing DDEX provider for Firebird to Visual Studio [ DDEX and
answer this question:I’ve done all steps in the article.. using April 2006 sdk… Server Explorer -> Data Connections -> Add Connection ; Then i select Firebird Data Source; But whenever i’ve tried to change the value of a control in the dialog box it disappears…(only happens with firebird data source)…By the way can i use this for Interbase 7.1…
Look at http://blog.cincura.net/id/226062/ , you can find there an answer to your problem.BTW InterBase should work, but it’s not tested.
DDEX and Firebird .NET Data Provider
I’m working on a MS SQL to Firebird migration of an application I work on and tried to make the Firebird Data Adapters do the same work as the SQL’s ca do such as automatic design time Select commands generation. But the adapter doesn’t seem to have such a functionality.Is the automatic design time sql commands generation possible with current DDEX drivers, or do I have to rely on the ODBC ones?
Yes, it is. It’s working without any problems.
Actually, it doesn’t work with the latest version of the provider (2.1.0 RC1) because the feature to configure the FBDataAdapter and generate SQL Commands in design time was surprisingly removed.The new version only supports TableDataAdapters.
Yes. Because that was for .NET 1.1. In .NET 2.0 there’s a new model and this code was obsolete. But generating commands works still. It has nothing to do with this.
I see. After realizing this, we have decided to update our application to suport this new .NET 2.0 model. Thanks for help.
I my case after 2 installations of DDEX and Firebird .NET Data provider i find a solution of dialog box problem and this problem is because machine.config is corupted !!!With help of an XML editor I find the errors in this file.(
This topic helped me a lot. Even though I don’t want to explain right now what was the problem, thanks a bunch!
Pessoal, A quinta edição do Firebird Developers Day aconteceu no dia 19 de Julho de 2008, na
Thank you….
Is it possible do the same procedure with Visual Basic 2008 Express Edition on XP PROFESSIONAL ?
The version without SDK should work.
Had the “Failure has occured while loading a type” error too – I looked up the registry and the Key “CodeBase”=”%PATH%\\FirebirdSql.VisualStudio.DataTools.dll”at[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\VisualStudio\9.0\DataProviders\{92421248-F044-483A-8237-74C7FBC62971}]hadn’t been added. So I just added it by hand and it worked!
(%PATH%= your path to the dll)
I have the same problem with disappering of dialog box. Any ideas?
Bad registry or GAC installation.
To all people with disappearing dialog box, I wanted to share my solution because it was both frustrating and simple. Someone else posted that he had a corrupted machine.config and that was essentially my problem too, but the specifics I’m guessing are pretty common. In the tag of machine.config, the close tag was positioned on the end of the line for the last entry. I didn’t notice this and put my entry on the following line which means it was no longer inside the tag. Just make sure your entry is inside the section.
After I posted I saw that all my tag references had been chopped out. I’ll post again substituting all angle brackets with parens. To all people with disappearing dialog box, I wanted to share my solution because it was both frustrating and simple. Someone else posted that he had a corrupted machine.config and that was essentially my problem too, but the specifics I’m guessing are pretty common. In the (DbProviderFactories) tag of machine.config, the close tag (/DbProviderFactories) was positioned on the end of the line for the last (add) entry. I didn’t notice this and put my (add) entry on the following line which means it was no longer inside the (DbProviderFactories) tag. Just make sure your (add) entry is inside the (DbProviderFactories) section.
I had the same problem with the add connection dialog that disappears.
The error was in machine.config
Inside the I had enter :
I had enter by mistake Culture=2.5.1.0. The correct is: Culture=neutral . Correcting this, solved the problem
Also I had to manually enter double slash to the path for FirebirdSql.VisualStudio.DataTools.dll and FirebirdSql.VisualStudio.DataToolsUI.dll , by opening regedit and manually changing the CodeBase key.
Example:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\VisualStudio\9.0\DataProviders\{92421248-F044-483A-8237-74C7FBC62971}]
@=”.NET Framework Data Provider for Firebird”
“DisplayName”=”Provider_DisplayName, FirebirdSql.VisualStudio.DataTools.Properties.Resources”
“ShortDisplayName”=”Provider_ShortDisplayName,FirebirdSql.VisualStudio.DataTools.Properties.Resources”
“Description”=”Provider_Description, FirebirdSql.VisualStudio.DataTools.Properties.Resources”
“CodeBase”=”C:\\Downloads\\firebird\\FirebirdDDEXProvider-2.0.4\\FirebirdSql.VisualStudio.DataTools.dll”
“InvariantName”=”FirebirdSql.Data.FirebirdClient”
“Technology”=”{77AB9A9D-78B9-4ba7-91AC-873F5338F1D2}”
One way to check if you have FirebirdSql.Data.FirebirdClient.dll installed in GAC is to browse C:\WINDOWS\assembly . There you can also view the public key token of each assembly.
I am posting again the same comment because the tags does not appear for some reason.
I will remove
=========
I had the same problem with the add connection dialog that disappears.
The error was in machine.config
Inside the DbProviderFactories tag I had enter :
add name=”FirebirdClient Data Provider” invariant=”FirebirdSql.Data.FirebirdClient” description=”.Net Framework Data Provider for Firebird” type=”FirebirdSql.Data.FirebirdClient.FirebirdClientFactory, FirebirdSql.Data.FirebirdClient, Version=2.5.1.0, Culture=2.5.1.0, PublicKeyToken=3750abcc3150b00c”
I had enter by mistake Culture=2.5.1.0. The correct is: Culture=neutral . Correcting this, solved the problem
Also I had to manually enter double slash to the path for FirebirdSql.VisualStudio.DataTools.dll and FirebirdSql.VisualStudio.DataToolsUI.dll , by opening regedit and manually changing the CodeBase key.
Example:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\VisualStudio\9.0\DataProviders\{92421248-F044-483A-8237-74C7FBC62971}]
@=”.NET Framework Data Provider for Firebird”
“DisplayName”=”Provider_DisplayName, FirebirdSql.VisualStudio.DataTools.Properties.Resources”
“ShortDisplayName”=”Provider_ShortDisplayName,FirebirdSql.VisualStudio.DataTools.Properties.Resources”
“Description”=”Provider_Description, FirebirdSql.VisualStudio.DataTools.Properties.Resources”
“CodeBase”=”C:\\Downloads\\firebird\\FirebirdDDEXProvider-2.0.4\\FirebirdSql.VisualStudio.DataTools.dll”
“InvariantName”=”FirebirdSql.Data.FirebirdClient”
“Technology”=”{77AB9A9D-78B9-4ba7-91AC-873F5338F1D2}”
One way to check if you have FirebirdSql.Data.FirebirdClient.dll installed in GAC is to browse C:\WINDOWS\assembly . There you can also view the public key token of each assembly.
After configuring everithing, I still got the:
“An Unexpected error occurred in .Net framework data provider for firebird. Please contact the provider vendor to resolve this problem”
Installing Visual Studio 2005 SP1 solved the problem.
is it possibe to use visual web developer express edition 2008 DDEX and Firebird .NET Data provider
Yes it is.
I am using visual web developer express edition 2008. When i add an datasource to form i can select ProviderName as FirebirdSql.Data.FirebirdClient. After adding GridView and running program, i can see the resultset on browser. But i can not use DatabaseExplorer at design time. And Datasorce Refresh Schema is not working at design time. How can i solve this problem? Thanks.
I think I solved somethings. Now I can see Firebird at DatabaseExploerer by connecting. I can add connection string. But after OK I have an Error “Failure has occured while loading a type”. How can i solve this? Thanks.
I have Firebird WI-V2.5.0.25920 Firebird 2.5 Release Candidate 2 installed on a
Windows 2008 Server. I have the same installed on my local workstation and I
can connect to a database and create a Connection and all seems to work okay.
I am able to connect to the Firebird database on the Server from my Local
machine with FlameRobin.
When I attempt to create a Connection in VS2010 (Trial … waiting for purchased
version to arrive), I get the error “Index was outside the bounds of the array.”
The following are my settings in the Add Connection Dialog Box:
Data source: Firebird Data Source (.NET Framework Data Provider for Firebird)
Data Source: HOOPLEXPRESSSVR
Data Source Port: 3050
Dialect: 3
Charset:
Database: HOOPLEXPRESSSVR:D:\Glsa1FirebirdTestDatabase\GLSA1.FDB
User: SYSDBA
Password: masterkey
Role:
Can anyone educate me as to what I am doing wrong?