I recently created a copy of our MySQL DB in SQL Server and the code we were using started crashing because of cast exceptions.
It turned out as a result of the MySQL uint columns being int in SQL Server, however that is a very minor problem and should not crash the program.

The statement Query.GetColumn("AddedColumn") would return a uint under MySQL and int using SQL Server.

MySQL complained about unboxing to uint when I tried casting directly to uint.

To get it working I had to cast to int and then to uint: (uint)(int)Query.GetColumn("AddedColumn").
However, in SQL Server I was getting a cast exception.

I solved all this with the Convert methods: Convert.ToUInt16(Query.GetColumn("AddedColumn")).
I think the Convert methods are bulky and I would much prefer to cast as I was doing.
Also, these methods take about 3 times longer. (See the code below)

Is there an easier way of doing this?
Can the GetColumn method cast for me if I give it the type I want?

1    using System;
2    using System.Collections.Generic;
3    using System.Text;
4    
5    namespace CastTest
6    {
7      class Program
8      {
9        static void Main(string[] args)
10       {
11         int Number = new Random().Next(10, 100);
12   
13         DateTime Start = DateTime.Now;
14         for (int x = 0; x < 10 * 1000 * 1000; x++)
15         {
16           sbyte SB = (sbyte)Number;
17           byte B = (byte)Number;
18           
19           short S = (short)Number;
20           ushort US = (ushort)Number;
21   
22           int I = (int)Number;
23           uint UI = (uint)Number;
24   
25           long L = (long)Number;
26           ulong UL = (ulong)Number;
27         }
28         DateTime End = DateTime.Now;
29   
30         Console.WriteLine("Cast: {0}", End.Subtract(Start).TotalMilliseconds);
31   
32         Start = DateTime.Now;
33         for (int x = 0; x < 10 * 1000 * 1000; x++)
34         {
35           sbyte SB = Convert.ToSByte(Number);
36           byte B = Convert.ToByte(Number);
37   
38           short S = Convert.ToInt16(Number);
39           ushort US = Convert.ToUInt16(Number);
40   
41           int I = Convert.ToInt32(Number);
42           uint UI = Convert.ToUInt32(Number);
43   
44           long L = Convert.ToInt64(Number);
45           ulong UL = Convert.ToUInt64(Number);
46         }
47         End = DateTime.Now;
48   
49         Console.WriteLine("Convert: {0}", End.Subtract(Start).TotalMilliseconds);
50   
51         Console.ReadLine();
52       }
53     }
54   }
55   

Hmmm, the problem is if you are not calling our Get functions the dirty columns and stuff won't be set. Are you trying to do database independent stuff with ES, that is to say, use the same binary executable or at least the same generated classes against MySQL and SQL?

[Modified]

Doh !! Right, get's don't set things as dirty.

You are right in that our methods cast rather than using Convert for performance reasons, in this case however you are saying you have to cast twice or Convert, hmmm?

Yes, I would like a totally independant database layer.

Most of my data is stored as a uint simply because negative numbers are not possible, not because I need the extra positive numbers.
Therefore the casting from uint to int and back is done without problems.

I'm confused, we do offer DB indepedence ... See this POST

Are you saying even this approach won't work. Let me know, if it's something we can sneak into this maintenenace release that would be great.