Understanding the "Unable to Convert MySQL Date/Time Value to System.DateTime" Error

Retrieving data from MySQL databases can sometimes result in the error "Unable to convert MySQL date/time value to System.DateTime." This occurs when the DbType of the data being retrieved from the database is not compatible with the corresponding property of the .NET data type.

Fixing the Conversion Issue

To resolve this error, one solution is to specify the "Convert Zero Datetime=True" setting in the connection string used to connect to the MySQL database. This setting instructs the .NET data provider to convert MySQL dates that are represented as '0000-00-00' to DateTime.MinValue, ensuring compatibility with the System.DateTime type.

Here's an example of a modified connection string that includes the "Convert Zero Datetime=True" setting:

server=localhost;User Id=root;password=mautauaja;Persist Security Info=True;database=test;Convert Zero Datetime=True

By including this setting, the System.DateTime type can properly handle MySQL date values that are stored as '0000-00-00' in the database. The data can then be retrieved and converted into a compatible data type, resolving the compatibility issue.