My PHP/MySQL Adventure

I'm about to start a new project, a database-driven site. I've done a few before, always in ColdFusion and MS Access, but it's been a few years, and in 2009 I think PHP and MySQL is the way to go. If I'm going to spend time slaving over a hot laptop (and believe me, when you're working in the Yucatan in Mexico in summer, that's no exaggeration!) I want to be gaining PHP/MySQL skills, not ColdFusion/MS Access.

So, planning to blog here as I go along, and share what I learn, and my tears and triumphs!

I still don't quite have a grip on MySQL. Unlike MS Access, there isn't a convenient program sitting on my laptop already for creating and editing databases. Instead, apparently you have a number of other options, some free, some which cost:

PHPMyAdmin
Navicat
My SQL Administrator
MySQL-Front
Heidi SQL
SQLYog

Scary-sounding, aren't they? Couldn't they be more Web 2.0-friendly-birds-and-clouds about it?

A good discussion on my friend's NNTP forum (news://news.gowest.com/gowest.webdev) produced the following nuggets of information:

Re. Navicat: "Even for a single project it will make your mySQL life SO much easier. There is even a free 'light' version, and a 30 day full featured trial on the regular mySQL version that most of us use ($99 to buy a license after 30 days and well worth it). I can't imagine doing mySQL at all without navicat. Makes phpMyAdmin look like an old dog in a horse race... no comparison!" - Michael Evangelista, GoWest Web Design and Hosting

"...worth its weight in gold - i couldnt agree more, found it a few years ago and it beats all other tools hands down." - Twocans

"I would not know where to begin using MySQL without Navicat and would not even try. I bought the $99 version after using it for 2 days six years ago, have never regretted it, completely agree with Michael here." - LWD

"I've been using Navicat for donkey's years and love it, but I think unless you're going to be working with MySQL on many projects it wouldn't be worth the expense. phpMyAdmin is perfectly adequate (free) but if you want a GUI then there is MySQL Administrator 1.2 from http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/gui-tools/5.0.html which is also free. MySQL-Front is an old favourite too (http://www.mysqlfront.de/) - it used to be free but now I see it is US$35 - still, it's good value." - Steve Fleischer

"Take a look at Heidi SQL. This is the continuation of the old MySQL Front project and uses the same GUI if you are familiar with that one. It is also freeware.

http://www.heidisql.com/

I've used it since the first project (MySQL Front) was started. If you have minimal requirements (i.e. just working with a single development MySQL database on your local computer) it is all you would ever need (it also remotely interfaces to any online MySQL database too).

You may also want to look at what your web host offers. Most have PHPmyAdmin installed which is more than enough for 99% of all remote database nuts N bolts stuff.

Now having said all of this, I use Navicat standard because I have to interface with several databases on my DB server and it allows me to log in as root admin and do anything I need to do for clients. Navicat is nice if you need it or if you just want something super slick to play around in. I do not have Oracle or PostgreSQL installed on my DB server so I would not need to upgrade to their premium product.

You can still find the last freeware version of MySQL Front (2.5) if you Google enough for it but Heidi has moved forward from that last freeware version so you might as well download the latest offering from the original MySQL Front developers." - Mike

"If you're doing much of anything with a MySQL db I second the vote to get, or at least try, Navicat. If you're used MyPHPAdmin at all, it will open your eyes and make you wonder why anyone would want to use MyPHPAdmin ever again." - Mad Dog

"Navicat is pretty, and it's easy to use, but it falls down terribly when testing SQL queries. phpMyAdmin isn't at all pretty, but it's easy to use, and it handles SQL queries that make Navicat barf. I must admit that I haven't used Navicat a great deal, but I can't find a great deal to get excited about." David Powers, www.foundationphp.com

"Or you can try SQLYog (http://www.webyog.com) - another excellent MySQL admin tool. I am not sure how it compares to Navicat now, but when I switched from phpMyAdmin it was beating Navicat on many fronts. The free version has a nag screen on startup and shutdown, and does not allow connections to remote hosts + of course none of the true enterprise features. $99 for a full Enterprise version seems very reasonable." - Azadi

"SqlYog is similar to Navicat, but has one HUGE advantage. SqlYog offers a php page you can upload to a site so that you can tunnel to MySQL on shared hosts that don't allow a direct connection. If you ever have to work with MySQL on a shared hosting account without any external ports open then SqlYOG is the only way to go. If you don't need this feature, then I think Navicat may be the winner but they are very similar in my experiance." - David

I'll let you all know which I end up settling with. I love the idea of a nice, easy interface, but I'm only doing this one small project and I'm living on pesos, so don't want to pay much.