Who uses PHPMyAdmin by choice?

[Antnee]

Serious question.

Personally I can't stand it. I think it's slow and clunky and the interface is horrible to use compared to native desktop applications under Windows (and you just can't fix it adequately with templates). There may be something available for PHPMyAdmin which we don't have, but I do like the syntax highlighting and ability to tab-justify my SQL in desktop apps which is one of my bug-bears in PMA.

I started off using MySQL Front many years ago, on the recommendation of someone on here I'm sure. That project was halted but HeidiSQL emerged from it and I've been using that since. I think MySQL Front is back, but I've stuck with Heidi since I've not had much reason to leave it (though the latest version appears to be missing (or hiding) some of my preferred old features, like the ability to export a DB/table directly to another server).

Anyway, I've been using Heidi at work as well, until last week when I suddenly couldn't connect to our dev-server. When I queried it with the boss he said that because of various data-protection issues we now had to use PHPMyAdmin which we connect to via SSL (the server is physically maybe 8 feet behind me mind you) and it's unlikely that I'll be able to use Heidi any more.

I discussed this with a colleague who doesn't understand my reluctance to use PHPMyAdmin. He seems to think that it does everything that Heidi does and does so perfectly quickly enough (I'm a big fan of web-apps, but I don't believe that they can out-perform a desktop app at all). He says "plenty of people use PHPMyAdmin, so it can't be that bad", which lead me to the question: How many people use PHPMyAdmin by choice?

I can honestly only think of the following reasons to use it:

• Your host doesn't allow you to connect directly
• You need to be able to access the DB from anywhere
• You use an OS that doesn't have a decent MySQL GUI available (includes mobile phones)

So, would anyone mind giving me your thoughts?

[r937]

heidisql now supports ssl, so you might want to have a word with your boss...

http://www.heidisql.com/forum.php?t=5154

[Antnee]

Should I take it you prefer native GUIs over PMA then?

The problem is that I don't think he's keen on setting SSL running on the dev server as it can slow performance. Not that I think it's an issue in this environment. I don't use the live server at all (only a couple of people have access and then it's with PMA anyway).

Cheers

[r937]

i started with mysqlfront many years ago and went naturally with heidi when it came out

i'm afraid i don't know what ssl actually is, so i can't comment on that, i just wanted to maybe help you out (i remembered something about a new feature so i googled it, but i think what i heard was ssh not ssl, and i have no idea what ssh is either)

i too found phpmyadmin really clunky and unpleasant, especially compared to the latest release of heidi which is gorgeous

for unit testing (i.e. on my desktop), firing up a web server to get at the database on my C drive is a case of "ur doing it wrong"

[Antnee]

SSL = Secure Sockets Layer, which is essentially the difference between HTTP and HTTPS (amongst other things). Basically it's a secure connection

SSH = Secure SHell

Who knows, it may have been you who got me on to MySQL Front all those years ago, in which case "thank you".

I've just asked again about getting SSL on the server and being allowed to use it but it's still a "no". I would genuinely rather grate my nut-sack than use PMA. Dammit

[r937]

Off Topic:

whoo boy, that one goes in my keeper file, i've never heard that one before

usually i say "i'd rather have root canal than ... "

[Antnee]

Off Topic:

A root canal is not extreme enough IMHO. I've had one; I know!

[pgb101]

I personally won't use it by choice, it would take some real heavy forcing.

This is quite interesting reading....
http://forums.thedailywtf.com/forums/p/8520/162289.aspx
For example
( http://cd.xxxxxx/scripts/sql.php?db=...l_query=INSERT INTO landbank.cityport VALUES("18","00515009","3091","W%20106TH%20ST","25","105","2625","Non-Buildable") )

(Should things allow inserts etc by GET? If it still uses frames( so 90s ), is that a good way not to cause history goback issues? )

It has been 7 years since I used and deleted it so I am historically jaded to it. Maybe it has changed but my last argument about it was a week ago and by all accounts it hasn't. Enough ranting anyway

I used to use port forwarding and SSH and MySQL tools etc to look after it.

Anyway anyone who says
"plenty of people use xxxxxxx, so it can't be that bad" gets my personal intelligence quota of them lowered quite a deal

Plenty of people like whatever is handed to them, it leads to a less combatative happier life. Says nothing about the worth of what is given, just shows a lack of thought on receival.

Off Topic:


Root canals, I kinda enjoyed mine But then maybe I am a freak like that. The procedure was far better than using MySql Admin as I remember it. The pain before it without tequila no, the tequila and 800mg of ibuprofen to stem the pain was better. I just couldn't use tequila at work

All in all MySqlAdmin loses to root canal issues if tequila is involved.

Note: Do not put clove oil on an infected root canal....

[Antnee]

I'm so glad that nobody has rushed to it's defence yet!

Talking about frames, our e-commerce admin panel is still frame/nested-table based. I can do something about the tables but we're stuck with the frames for now.

As extreme as it may sound, having to use this piece of sh*t is enough to make me consider looking for a new job. Piece of w*nk software. Grrr

[ScallioXTX]

I use SQLYog, which is also very nice, but not free.
I've used PMA in the past, and I agree it's a pain. My main problem with it is that it looks so bad and unorganised that I couldn't help but feeling it's was breaking my database just because I was looking at it

Off Topic:


Root canals? Can't stand them.

Several years ago they had to remove a wisdom tooth, but it was really large and really embedded in my gums, so the dentist had to break it apart to take it out, hurt like h*ll, even with, I dunno, 3 or 4 shots of anestatics
If someone ever gives me a chance to erase a specific part from my memory, it would be that exact day ...

[Antnee]

Thanks all. I feel somewhat vindicated with the lack of support for PMA

[Antnee]

I use SQLYog, which is also very nice, but not free.

Just been looking at SQLYog; looks very nice and appears to have some of the desirable features that I think are missing from HeidiSQL. I may have to purchase a copy and have a go. Cheers

[shantanuo]

I use whatever tool that has been given to me. But at the same time I ask for command line (SSH) access.

[StarLion]

Being that i'm not a company's DBA, I use PMA a lot.
It's not without it's foibles... but so is Heidi, or any SQL program.
I have used Heidi in the past; found it completely confusing and unintuitive.
If I use a GUI, I use Navicat.
*shrug* personal experiences, I suppose.

[Antnee]

Isn't Navicat quite expensive though?

[StarLion]

It is, but you were asking for our thoughts, not our wallet sizes.

[Antnee]

I'm not rejecting your opinion, I was just checking how to apply it in context. SQLYog has also been mentioned, which is also not free.

[Lemon Juice]

Some 2 years ago I was testing Heidisql but found it lacking in features so I didn't really use it much. If it's been actively developed I'll have to give it another try.

For now I choose only free tools so I use both PMA and free SQLYog. In my opinion these applications do not compete but complement each other. I usually prefer PMA for data viewing, searching, updating and column manipulations. I can open many different pages of PMA in browser tabs, which is very handy. SQLYog is excellent for data exporting and importing (very fast!) and I prefer it for creating stored procedures and functions, it can also reorder columns in a table easily. SQLYog is definitely faster but still lacks some features to become real PMA replacement (for example no way to perform same operation on multiple tables, can't select multiple tables). So I'm still using PMA because of lack of any other good (and free) alternative.

Another tool I use is MySQL Workbench - the project is going strong and the program can be very useful for graphic db modeling, it can produce very nice-looking diagrams. This is especially useful for large db models. They are making the program to also be a full-fledged mysql front end but those features are not that rich yet.

[Immerse]

I use PMA occasionally, but don't particularly enjoy it (slow and clunky).
I use MySQL Query Browser, which I love (although the Linux version isn't quite as polished as the Windows version). I think it's being dropped in favour of MySQL Workbench.

For my personal stuff (i.e. my CMS) I generally tend to write the table definitions in XML and then have the CMS create the tables. Rarely do I edit that database anymore.

At work we we use MySQL workbench for modelling our DBs, writing the functions and stored procedures, defining foreign keys and constraints and managing user permissions.

It's a good enough piece of software, but we've noticed that as the model gets bigger, the program starts crashing quite often and the sync and forward-engineer stuff starts behaving badly. It's a pity, but it becomes unusable after a while. :|

[Antnee]

Yeah, I like the old MySQL GUI tools, and MySQL Workbench works well alongside, but I don't see it as a replacement... yet

[Immerse]

Also, since moving to Linux after a lifetime on Windows, I find that I opening a terminal and typing 'mysql -u root -p' is much faster than opening a browser to start PMA.