MySQL GUI Tools Editor's Review

MySQL GUI Tools is a set of programs that you can use to administrate MySQL database server.

The package has multiple applications. You can find in the DMG image the following tools: MySQL Administrator, MySQL Query Browser, MySQL Workbench, and a widget for your Dashboard named MySQL Health.

MySQL Administrator is a program that can modify various parameters of a MySQL database server. With this tool, you can modify the service behavior, you can add or remove users (depending on your privileges), or you can manage the connections to the server.

This program displays the health of the running server as well as allowing you to read the logs of the server. You can also backup or restore a database pretty easily with this program.

MySQL Administrator can also create/drop databases or modify the tables, but it doesn't have the possibility to run queries over the database.

MySQL Query Browser it the tool that completes the MySQL Administrator's functionality. This tool can run SQL queries over your databases. Its functionality is limited to this one, but it should be enough for users who are accustomed with the SQL implementation of MySQL.

MySQL Workbench is a tool that so far is in the alpha phase. This release can be unstable and yes, it has bugs, so don't expect very much from it at this moment. It's a new tool, but the list of the features looks interesting.

You can get working within the application's interface with schema objects and documentation objects, separation of database catalog and model, relationships between tables based on foreign keys. The application it also features the support for SQL script export and reverse engineering of an existing schema.

The producers promised some forthcoming features, which will make from this tool a much powerful one. This feature list includes items like plug-in support, speed optimizations, or database synchronization.

The last tool from this package is the MySQL Health widget. After installing this tool, you have to configure some connectivity parameters such as the host, username, password and it starts monitoring your server depending on the monitoring parameters, which you have to set in its configuration panel.

Pluses: It is a full featured administration package using a GUI that makes the work a lot easier in most of the cases.

Drawbacks / flaws: MySQL Workbench is a program that is still in the alpha phase so you might get unexpected behavior.

In conclusion: this is a powerful suite of tools for the administration of the database server. In fact, this is the official group of tools, since it has been made by the producers of the MySQL server.

version reviewed: 5.0r5