Image via WikipediaI have tried my installation of the different versions of ODP .NET.You see, I am developing applications using VS 2005, VS 2008 and finally, VS 2010.
And with much of the developments in the Oracle world, with regard to database access, I am keen to try out ODP .NET, especially since I caught the selling point where it says that ODP will be much faster, more efficient. Not to mention that MS oracle library is already deprecated, and will be gone soon.
From OTN, I am able to see that they have installer files for Ora9, Ora10, and Ora11.
I gladly downloaded all 3, and started installing.
Actually, I used the latest file, and it was to my shock!
My applications couldn't run...
As quickly as I installed, I uninstalled ODP .NET for Oracle 11i.
And fortunate enough, my applications were able to run again (like they did recover from an initial shock)!
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That was about 2 days ago.Today, as is normally my case, I cannot rest until I make things running, or I am able to "see" what is waiting, what's in store.
So after the first setback, I wanted to try again, but this time, I worked on the earlier version - Ora9.
I installed, and rebooted, and voila! It worked. My applications were running.
And sort of being able to land first base, I didn't get contented. (Sometimes I understand why the saying 'curiosity killed the cat').
I continued to install the other 2 ODP .NET softwares (ora10g, Ora11i). You see, I was able to add in as a Reference in my VS 2005 apps the dll file (Oracle, DataAccess) - ONLY. When I tried adding the reference dll file in my VS 2010 apps, I can't find it. So I proceeded to install the higher versions with the hope that I will be able to call ODP in my VS 2010 applications.
Guess what happened?
After installing, I performed a reboot.
I called up my VS 2005 editor, and tried to run one of my apps, and it didn't run! The same error message was thrown out, and the same rootcause was found: some initialization files cannot be 'read'.I tried to compose myself, and decided to do troubleshooting.
I checked the installation folder, and I did see what changed: C:\oracle folder now has a new folder added: product folder. And inside, there are 2 more folders: \10.1.0 and \10.2.0. I compared the structure of my current \ora90 folder with the new folders, and I found that they both have the \network\admin folders.
Being the lazy troubleshooter that I am, I thought of simply copying over the sqlnet and tnsnames files into the new folders, and see if that would solve the problem.
I did just that. I copied the 2 files form the current \network\admin folder, and renamed the sqlnet files in the two new folders as sqlnet_old, then copied the files over.
Did that solve the problem?
You bet it did!
After that quick no-brainer troubleshooting adventure, I proceeded to see if I can call up Oracle.DataAccess dll file in my VS 2010 applications. I opened up one app, and tried to add a reference, and there it was: Oracle.DataAccess, bright and clear, ready for the taking. I did just that.And one or two steps on, I hit another problem, but I'm past the installation and addition of the ODP .NET library/namespace in my VS 2005 and VS 2010 apps. It's the code-building issues now.
And so, with that short narrative of mine on my ODP .NET adventure, I hope that it will be of help to you who is going in the same direction as me.
Will I hear from you?
Till then!
I have began my journey to learning Silverlight and Ajax. I have completed my first books, 
With these 2 books completed, I've grabbed a few others that will continue my learning of Silverlight and Ajax, what I believe to be the future of 
String to StringBuilder, AJAX, Silverlight
