Tuesday, February 19, 2008

My New DB GUI

I've been playing with various GUIs off and on over the last couple of months. I find that I drop to mysql.exe quite often no matter which tool I use. My favorites until recently have been the MySQL GUI Tools and NaviCat.

I was using the Lite edition of Navicat. I actually started using navicat with postgres a few years ago. I like it but the lite version is limited in some annoying ways. It's nice in that it runs (at least the mysql version) in Linux and windows. I don't use a mac so that doesn't really do anything for me.

Of course the MySQL gui tools run just about anywhere.

I just remembered that Quest Software has a mysql tool called TOAD for MySQL. I have been a user of TOAD for Oracle for well over a decade. I started using it before Quest owned it.

TOAD started at the Tool for Oracle Application Developers. So calling it Tool for Oracle Application Developers for MySQL sounds kind of stupid. ;-)

TOAD is still the most advanced gui tool for Oracle. I have started using Oracle's SQL Developer and it's a nice tool but TOAD still has it beat on a feature and performance basis right now.

Anyway, my point with all of this is that TOAD for MySQL is now my preferred tool. It is completely free although it runs only on windows. It has the most advanced feature set of any of the database tools I've been using recently.

In addition to MySQL and Oracle, it also supports MS SQL Server, DB2 and Sybase. If they came out with a Postgres version it would be a complete set.

The query builder and erd tool are highly functional. When I am new to an application, the first thing I look for is an ERD. Most MySQL applications do not have one available (at least in my experience). So, I start off by building one.

The schema browser also blows away the competition. Grid view and edit with out the pain of separate pop up windows. very nice. You can also see all of the databse objects.

My suggestion, when you install, choose the TOAD for Oracle view. If you prefer an explorer view, choose the SQL Navigator view.

Give it a try. You can read my initial review (kind of old now though).

LewisC

9 comments:

shlomoid said...

My biggest problem with Toad is the stability. I crashes so much, it's practically unusable sometimes... Which is really a pity, since like you said, it's highly advanced and has a huge amount of capabilities.

I made a review/collection of all the DB tools I could find for MySQL several months ago. Take a look, maybe you find another tool you like :)
http://blog.shlomoid.com/2007/12/mysql-development-tools-good-bad-and.html

shlomoid said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Have you tried SQLyog?

It is open source and blows out both Toad and Navicat.

LewisC said...

@Shlomo - I left a comment on your blog.

@Ever - I took a look at SQLyog. Comparing the free TOAD and free SQLyog, TOAD has many more features. SQLyog cripples most of the features in the free community edition.

LewisC

Oropeza said...

Toad for mysql is my choice. It crashes some time but the problems are getting corrected on the new versions.

When i need to do some fast stuff, i use HeidySql, descendant of MysqlFront.

Info Tek said...

I've used SQL-yog before and was quite impressed. But they've totally crippled it with all the "good" stuff in the Enterprise version. I'll give TOAD a try. What's everyone using to manage Postgresql dbs?

LewisC said...

I usually use PGAdmin III or EnterpriseDB Migration Studio but I don't really like either. I wish I could find something like TOAD for Postgres.

Anne said...

hey guyz, best combination is sqlyog as it was recommended by many of my colleagues where i found it to be fast and gui to be improved. most powered features are also there and more stable. just try once!!!

Sebastián Gómez Morales said...

i've been using SQLyog for 5 years now. i also used NaviCat, phpMyAdmin, MySQL Front, MySQL GUI (official), but the yog is the best of those.

however, not long ago i discover TOAD for MySQL. and it's pretty good for two reasons: it's completely free (SQLyog is only free in its smaller version) and it's pretty powerful (compare data, compare schema, E/R diagram, only to name the basic ones)

never the less, SQLyog is faster, more stable and friendly. so, i'm using both of them, but in the end, TOAD is better in general.