MySQL Bugs: #43023: On big endian system (power arch with mono), tinyint(4) is converted to Boolean

Bug #43023	On big endian system (power arch with mono), tinyint(4) is converted to Boolean
Submitted:	19 Feb 2009 15:08	Modified:	16 Mar 2009 17:42
Reporter:	Arthur Valadares	Email Updates:
Status:	Not a Bug	Impact on me:	None
Category:	Connector / NET	Severity:	S2 (Serious)
Version:	5.2.5.0	OS:	Linux
Assigned to:		CPU Architecture:	Any
Tags:	tinyint boolean endian power ppc

Description:
Environment: Using the MySQL Connector on mono in a ppc64 (big endian) architecture

Issue: When saving a byte value to a tinyint(4) column on a table, the data gets saved right but when retrieving the data with IDataReader, it always comes back as a boolean. 

How to repeat:
Take this example code from mono:
http://www.mono-project.com/MySQL

Add an extra column test tinyint(4), store a byte value there (byte test = 4), retrieve it with IDataReader and check it's value and type. It will show as a Boolean and it is True

Suggested fix:
Check for big endian related issues, as this does not happen to x86

Changing to MySQL Connector/Net

Added version info

New update: Made sure that this is a connector issue. I started a MySQL server on an X machine, and I'm still having trouble retrieving the tinyint(4) value. 

It's still coming as 1 on PPC64, and as the right number (on my test, 4) on a x86 machine.

Thank you for the report.

> Add an extra column test tinyint(4), store a byte value there (byte test = 4),

Please provide byte value you store, i.e. exact INSERT statement you use to store a byte value.

Hi Sveta, thanks for the support..

Assuming I'm using a table called testme with one column called test which is a tinyint(4), I insert it like this:
insert into testme(test) values (4);

I thought I should make this clear, because I ruled out the possibility of storing the value wrong after I posted this bug. On my original code I was storing the value using:
byte test = 4;

then creating a insert MySqlCommand c and executing c.ExecuteNonQuery()

I thought this could be the problem as well, but as I mentioned on my last post, even if I create a value in tinyint using Insert Into it still fails to retrieve the right value.

I'm raising the priority on this one, as I this is a blocking issue for my application.

Arthur, this is not a common platform so that we can test quickly. So far, a colleague of mine confirmed there is no such problem with C API test case. Now I have to find a matching box that I'm allowed to put mono and driver to...

Arthur, what happens if you add Treat Tiny As Boolean=false to your connection string?

  - Added connection string option 'Treat Tiny As Boolean' so applications that expect TINYINT(1) to return an integer will not break (bug #34052)

Tonci, have you tried this on another big endian architecture, if you have any available? 

I just tried that option you sent, it just converts True to 1, but the value I had was actually 4, so no luck.

This seemed to be a mono issue. Current 2.4 version of mono solves the problem.
Thank you for the support!

Arthur, I must say I'm relieved.

Thanks for your interest in MySQL.