How to Connect a .NET C# Web API to a MySQL Database
Connect an ASP.NET Core Web API in .NET 10 and C# to MySQL 9.7 with Entity Framework Core and Oracle's MySQL provider, one detailed topic per part: a secure, encrypted connection proved by health checks, tables created from C# classes, reading and writing data, transactions and row locks, and a production checklist for the connection.
Start with Part 1Get the Source Code
Get the complete source code of Inventory and Orders API for .NET C# and MySQL on Dewiride Store →
Every part of this series is free to read. The finished, tested project lets you skip ahead or check your work.
Connect with EF Core and a Secure Connection String
Connect an ASP.NET Core minimal Web API in .NET 10 and C# to MySQL 9.7 with EF Core 10 and Oracle's MySql.EntityFrameworkCore provider. Install the packages, write the DbContext, keep the connection string in user-secrets, require TLS, retry short outages and prove the connection with a readiness health check, then watch the same connection from inside MySQL.
Create MySQL Tables with EF Core Migrations
Create MySQL tables from C# classes with EF Core 10 migrations and Oracle's MySql.EntityFrameworkCore provider. Map each class to a table, choose MySQL column types for text, money, dates and enums, add a migration, read its SQL, apply it with dotnet ef database update, change the model with a second migration, and check every table from inside MySQL.
Read and Write MySQL Data with EF Core
Read and write MySQL data from a .NET C# Web API with EF Core 10 and Oracle's provider: insert a row and get its new ID, read rows with LINQ, update only the columns that changed, delete safely, turn MySQL errors into clear HTTP answers, page and search a list, stop two people overwriting each other, and read the real SQL behind every call.
Transactions, Row Locks and Retries with MySQL
Make a .NET C# Web API safe under load with EF Core 10 and MySQL 9.7: put several writes in one transaction, watch row locks in three terminals, stop two people buying the last item, end deadlocks, survive a MySQL restart with no failed requests, set time limits that work, and make a retry safe after a lost COMMIT.
Production Checklist for the MySQL Connection
Get a .NET C# Web API and MySQL 9.7 ready for production: verify the server's certificate with VerifyFull, give the app an account that can't drop tables, stop a burst of requests from crashing the process, size the connection pool, and finish with a checklist.
