OK, I’ve dumped on mySQL (justifiably, in my mind) frequently in this blog, but today I come to praise it.
Well, not the database per se, but the tools that have evolved around it.
I’ve installed and played with a few mySQL and postgreSQL tools, and I have to say that the mySQL tools kick ass compared to the postgreSQL tools.
In particular, SQLyog is great. It has the three main functionalities that I look for in an Enterprise Manager (a la MS SQL Server) type tool:
- Pane with listing of databases, which trees out to tables and then columns. (Much like Windows Explorer, for example)
- An integrated – not a child window – pane in the same tool with the database explorer (first point) which allows one to A) enter a query in the top, and B) have the results display in the bottom pane. For those not familiar with Enterprise Manager, think Outlook with the preview pane.
- DTS-type tool. While this is considerably different here than in Enterprise Manager, it works for what I really wanted if for: I wanted to be able to replicate a database on one server (my Linux box) to my other mySQL server (Windoze box). The only hitch – and this isn’t at all an issue – is that I had to at least create the database (no tables, just the db) on the target box before I could copy the source over. This worked perfectly in both directions, copying either the schema or schema and data. While there may be issues in the future (such as primary key issues), for a backup solution, this is good. I’m very happy.
I’ve only tried two postgreSQL tools so far, and I’m sure (I hope…) that there are better tools out there, but I find serious limitations in these tools.
In particular, the inability to type a query and then get the results without hiding the query. While I like SQLyog’s three pane thingee (with two of the three query and results), I could easily live with the MS approach: Enterprise Manager for browsing WYSIWYG building, and Query Analyzer for (duh…) queries (top[query] and bottom[results] panes).
But on both postgreSQL tools I tried, it was a small window that you entered the query into, and then clicked either a tab or button run query, at which point the results would replace the query in the window.
That sucks.
Because — success or (esp.) when an error is tossed, it’s nice to see the query and results on one screen, so you can see why the results/error happended.
I’ll have to check out sourceforge to see if there are any better tools, but I don’t know. With the smaller installed base, less tools.
Update 12/31/2003 – I’ve found (with the help of developer lists) Aqua Data Studio. It has a lot of pluses and minuses (written in Java; ugly and slowish), but the biggest plus – for this thread – is that it does handle the three-pane environment I’ve wished for using Postgres. It’s also free, so life is somewhat good…