I'm one of those programmers who comes from a microsoft background (SQL Server, VB, you know the drill), and while I find the PHP/MySQL world really really refreshing most of the time...Sometimes I really wish for some of the old tools! In particular, I wish that either a) visio integrated with MySql, or b) there were another similar product that would let me easily create database diagrams AND output sql code, or use a db as the source of the diagram.
So, what are your favorite MySQL tools? I have the feeling that I have probably missed out on a lot of good ones...
I use phpmyadmin when I have to. I mostly like the MySQL Administrator and MySQL Query Browser, though both have their quirks. For database diagramming I still use Visio, then just roll up my sleeves and create the tables from scratch...
Oh, and while I'm blabbing, other than it's slowness at times, I like Zend Studio for php development, and SuperEdi when I'm in a hurry. Also, I work on Windows XP.
Thanks, Greg.
You could try DBDesigner 4. MySQL Workbench is a similar tool, but still on alpha. I come from a Microsoft background myself too (greetings to the WebDev team at Microsoft Ireland and at Microsoft Finland), but it's YEARS ago. Gosh, time flies. Around that time (latter half of the nineties) SQL Server tools were on alpha stage also 
and I remember sketching out databases in Access 
, it had the best visuals at the time...
For PHP I use just gVim, mostly. Eclipse and Zend Studio both suck and blow speedwise on my machines. PHPEclipse is crashing too much on Ubuntu 6.10, so I gave up on that. As Moodle is mostly function-oriented, it has been ok. With a more complex object domain logic it might be a different story. Object methods wouldn't have unique names, so the tag-jumping which is very convenient in Vim, wouldn't work (or maybe there is a way to configure Vim to check for the class too, but I doubt it).
I try to use open source only (+Windows here and there), so for diagramming I sometimes use Dia and ArgoUML. Can't make up my mind on those two Haven't tried the OpenOffice database stuff yet (as per the use of Access), but there might be something there too.
, it had the best visuals at the time...For PHP I use just gVim, mostly. Eclipse and Zend Studio both suck and blow speedwise on my machines. PHPEclipse is crashing too much on Ubuntu 6.10, so I gave up on that. As Moodle is mostly function-oriented, it has been ok. With a more complex object domain logic it might be a different story. Object methods wouldn't have unique names, so the tag-jumping which is very convenient in Vim, wouldn't work (or maybe there is a way to configure Vim to check for the class too, but I doubt it).
I try to use open source only (+Windows here and there), so for diagramming I sometimes use Dia and ArgoUML. Can't make up my mind on those two
Thanks for the tips! It's funny, I found and started using DBDesigner 4 just before coming back to check this thread. Seems a bit funky but OK overall. I DO like that I can generate MySQL ddl with a simple click.
I do keep crossing my fingers that MySQL will update their ODBC driver in such a way that it works (better, or at all) with Visio.
I do keep crossing my fingers that MySQL will update their ODBC driver in such a way that it works (better, or at all) with Visio.