Third-Party MySQL Applications

As I mention in Chapter 3, "Database Design," you can use dedicated applications to help you with your database scheme. One such program is MYdbPAL (http://www.it-map.com/html/mydbpal_.html). This free program runs on Windows and will help you both design and implement a MySQL database. DB Tools Software (www.dbtools.com) also makes an application for designing and implementing MySQL databases. It runs on Windows and is available in both free and inexpensive versions.

For an easy-to-use and powerful database administration tool, one of the hands-down favorites is phpMyAdmin, created by the talented people at phpWizard.net (www.phpwizard.net). It requires that you have a Web server and PHP installed but allows you to interact with MySQL through a Web browser, rather than the mysql client (Figure C.3).

Figure C.3. The phpMyAdmin software, developed by phpWizard.net, is an excellent way to interact with MySQL.

There are literally dozens and dozens of other third-party applications you can use to interact with MySQL. Many are now obsolete thanks to the MySQL Query Browser and the MySQL Administrator (both of which are free), but if these two applications don't suit your needs, just do a search online for alternatives.