Question MySQL Providers that the customer must have installed?

[ChrisFinch]

My goal is to create a windows form in Visual Studio 2012 that connects to my MySQL Server, checks the customer-entered key against the database, then shows if the key has been activated already or is valid. The program will then use this information to activate the product. Once the product has been activated, it would write to the MySQL Database and say that the key has been used, so that the key cannot be used again.
Customer Enters Key> VB.NET Windows form checks against MySQL Database on MySQL Server (I already have the server) > If key is vaild, then activated, else displays error> Program writes in SQL Database that key is no longer valid.
How can I achieve this? Are there any MySQL Providers that the customer must have installed to connect to the database?

I can also use SQL Express server if it is easier. I was just hoping to use my Web Hosting MySQL Server so I wouldnt have to set it up and keep a personal server on.


Thank You

 

[ChrisFinch]

Anybody have any ideas?

 

[IanRyder]

Hi,

You are going to have use SQL Select, Insert and Update queries to achieve this, so I suppose the question is, what do you know of SQL?

You may want to start here:-

SQL WHERE Clause

Hope that helps.

Cheers,

Ian

 

[jmcilhinney]

Users are not going to connect directly to your MySQL server on the web. It's possible to do but I would not advise it. You should create a web service to connect to the database and install that on your host. The clients will then make a call to that web service.