Programming

I just wanted to share what a great MySQL (and other SQL) GUI DevArt provides.

3 years ago our company adopted a new ERP system that's entirely LAMP based. UGGG! Seriously? SQL Server *upgrade* to MySQL!???

This ERP is entirely vendor supported, but I have a replica database for data mining and ad-hoc reporting (full-on Crystal Reports served from an IIS Web Server). I was at a loss and searched everywhere for a SQL GUI that matched what Microsoft offers for SQL Server.

I'm aware of, and tried, the freebies (Quest Toad, Oracle, etc). Great on the surface but usability, as compared with Microsoft, was for the dogs. Finally I discovered and settled on DevArt DB Forge Studio for MySQL. I liked it enough that I later purchased their SQL Server version!

The ergonomics and usability for rapid development, as well as comprehensive database management, is outstanding!

3 years and probably 10,000 queries later, I'm still a fan. Just thought I'd share.

Note to purists: I came from a purist Oracle shop. After years of hand-typing all my queries and database object discoveries, I'm a convert and huge fan of 95% Visual Query Development, with 5% hand writing for the rare case when more complexity is needed. It works for my work environment anyway, where I'm lucky to get 30 minutes to deliver the typical inquiry ... with the GM breathing down my neck. Yeah, like I have time to hand type a query that links 5-10 tables and hand-type 15-20 column names. Even with a type-sensor, its arduous and brain-taxing.

Just take a look, not bad

I'm not very deep in Database-Application-Development. Mainly LAMP-Type Applications. But I've heard some horror stories of such great Query-GUI-Tools and what output was reported to be generated from them:

60-200 Lines of Code for SQL-Queries. Extremeley complicated. Extremeley Hard to debug. For myself, I'm very cautious not to create such a time bomb. But maybe the mentioned product
creates much cleaner Queries.

For now I create all Queries by Hand. Another reason for this is
to keep an eye on the performance of the query.

For day to day MySQL-Administration and Debugging I love HeidiSQL. A small and very powerful Management Application.(Supports Postgres too, and as I just read: even MS SQL).

I'll eventually have a look the DevArts product too. Thanks for sharing.

Just my 2 cents.

Thanks for the heads-up. I'll check it out.

DevArt is fairly comprehensive. It has query tuning (analyzer) - even a Stored Procedure debugger, data-pumps, administration, etc. For me; the big plus is the workable ergonomics and inherent visual object explorer combined with the inherent ease-n-efficiency of visual "drag-n-drop + click-to-include".

The MySQL optimizer is far from Enterprise level. DevArt doesn't try to optimize and I've definitely seen performance go in the toilet when the JOIN isn't in proper sequence. However; hand-query writing is prone to the same problem. It just takes longer to type and more brain-power to keep it all straight when the joins and aggregations start getting complex.

For more elegant technique; dragging the text into an editor for tuning is a regular thing.

For me however; 80% of my queries are 1-time-only so speed and ease of writing trumps performance. The keepers get more scrutiny.