MySQL GUI Interface

When I started playing with MySQL, the first thing I did was to look for a GUI interface. Back then, I was a database analyst and I simply knew how to write SQL queries. GUI interface gave me the power to easily move around the database without actually having to know any MySQL commands.

Here are my few cents on the different MySQL GUI interface out there. I am not affiliated with any of the following products.

1. Navicat

I have research tons of MySQL GUI interface and basically I found that Navicat located at http://www.navicat.com is one of the best GUI interface there is. The interface is clean and it makes and feel that MySQL database is easy to use. The basic disadvantage: it is not free.

2. MySQL Administrator and Query Browser (from the MySQL website).

Although these tools have more power compared to Navicat, I find that they are not needed by newbies. MySQL Administrator gives a lot of information which I don't think you will need especially if you are just starting in MySQL and if you don't even know the basic MySQL commands.

The MySQL Query Browser as the name suggest is used for writing queries against the database. With Navicat, you have the power of the MySQL Administrator and Query Browser all in your hands.

3. PHPAdmin

This is a PHP-based MySQL Administrator which is okay for me but I rarely use it for the following reasons: installation is not straight forward and it is browser-based (I just don't feel like managing my database in a browser setting -- this is just my preference).

4. SQLyog, HeidiSQL, MySQL Maestro, and other Navicat-like wannabe...

Most of them are just the same. I haven't found anything that can surpass the comfortable level of Navicat.

Essence of MySQL

What is the essence of MySQL? If you have to break down MySQL to its skeletal framework, what will you be left with?

MySQL is just made up of files (the extensions with MYI, frm, MYD are just extensions of FILES). I'm being simplistic here... and you can argue that all databases are just made of files. But let me give a couple of examples.

1. When you 'query' the database -- performing select, insert or update... what are you doing? Reading and writing to the MySQL files.

2. When you try to do performance tuning? What are you doing? You are improving how fast you are able to 'read and write' to the MySQL files.

3. When you want to do replication? What are you doing? You are just copying one data from one file to another.

4. When you want to do backup? What are you doing? You are just copying files (making sure that they are not currently being written) to another file.

So, what is the essence of MySQL again?

Introduction

This blog is for beginner and intermediate MySQL DBA. I will be posting stuff that I have learned or I'm working on. Like what the heading says, this is for dummies. So, some of the stuff here might be too simple for others but essential for new DBA or even developers.

As a side note, I find that most MySQL articles are hard to understand and in my opinion it takes someone to have a lot of experience in MySQL or database to appreciate them. Heck! I don't even read them because I don't need to know them. Less information is more information.