MySQL Workbench
Encyclopedia
MySQL Workbench is a visual database design
tool that integrates SQL
development
, administration
, database design
, creation and maintenance into a single integrated development environment
for the MySQL
database system. It is the successor to DBDesigner 4 from fabFORCE.net, and replaces the previous package of software, MySQL GUI Tools Bundle.
. It was written in 2002/2003 by the Austria
n programmer Michael G. Zinner for his fabFORCE.net platform using Delphi 7 / Kylix 3.
While being a physical-modeling only tool DBDesigner4 offers a comprehensive feature set including reverse engineering of MySQL databases, model-to-database synchronization, model poster printing, basic version control of schema models and a SQL query builder. It is available for MS Windows and Linux.
Zinner was approached by representatives from MySQL AB and joined the company in late 2003 to take over the development of graphical user interface (GUI) tools for MySQL which lead to the creation of the MySQL GUI Tools Bundle.
The MySQL GUI Tools Bundle is a cross-platform open source suite of desktop applications for the administration of MySQL database servers, and for building and manipulating the data within MySQL databases. It was developed by MySQL AB and later by Sun Microsystems
and released under the GPL. Development on the GUI Tools bundle has stopped, and is now only preserved under the Download Archives of the MySQL site.
The GUI Tools bundle has been superseded by MySQL Workbench, and reached its End-of-Life with the beta releases of MySQL Workbench 5.2. However, the MySQL Support team continued to provide assistance for the bundle until June 30, 2010. Future releases of MySQL Workbench will add a migration plugin, providing features comparable to the MySQL Migration Toolkit component within the MySQL GUI Tools bundle.
Version numbering was started 5.0 to emphasis the fact that MySQL Workbench was developed as the successor to DBDesigner4.
tools for the MySQL database. While MySQL Workbench 5.0 was a MS Windows only product cross-platform support was added to MySQL Workbench 5.1 and later.
As this business decision was announced soon after the takeover of MySQL by Sun Microsystems, this has caused speculation in the press about the future licensing of the MySQL database.
MySQL Workbench has been reviewed by the open source community and print magazines.
Database design
Database design is the process of producing a detailed data model of a database. This logical data model contains all the needed logical and physical design choices and physical storage parameters needed to generate a design in a Data Definition Language, which can then be used to create a database...
tool that integrates SQL
SQL
SQL is a programming language designed for managing data in relational database management systems ....
development
Software development
Software development is the development of a software product...
, administration
Database administration and automation
Database administration is the function of managing and maintaining database management systems software. Mainstream DBMS software such as Oracle, IBM DB2 and Microsoft SQL Server need ongoing management...
, database design
Database design
Database design is the process of producing a detailed data model of a database. This logical data model contains all the needed logical and physical design choices and physical storage parameters needed to generate a design in a Data Definition Language, which can then be used to create a database...
, creation and maintenance into a single integrated development environment
Integrated development environment
An integrated development environment is a software application that provides comprehensive facilities to computer programmers for software development...
for the MySQL
MySQL
MySQL officially, but also commonly "My Sequel") is a relational database management system that runs as a server providing multi-user access to a number of databases. It is named after developer Michael Widenius' daughter, My...
database system. It is the successor to DBDesigner 4 from fabFORCE.net, and replaces the previous package of software, MySQL GUI Tools Bundle.
fabFORCE.net DBDesigner4
DBDesigner4 is an open source visual database design and querying tool for the MySQL database released under the GPLGNU General Public License
The GNU General Public License is the most widely used free software license, originally written by Richard Stallman for the GNU Project....
. It was written in 2002/2003 by the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n programmer Michael G. Zinner for his fabFORCE.net platform using Delphi 7 / Kylix 3.
While being a physical-modeling only tool DBDesigner4 offers a comprehensive feature set including reverse engineering of MySQL databases, model-to-database synchronization, model poster printing, basic version control of schema models and a SQL query builder. It is available for MS Windows and Linux.
Zinner was approached by representatives from MySQL AB and joined the company in late 2003 to take over the development of graphical user interface (GUI) tools for MySQL which lead to the creation of the MySQL GUI Tools Bundle.
MySQL GUI Tools Bundle
Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems, Inc. was a company that sold :computers, computer components, :computer software, and :information technology services. Sun was founded on February 24, 1982...
and released under the GPL. Development on the GUI Tools bundle has stopped, and is now only preserved under the Download Archives of the MySQL site.
The GUI Tools bundle has been superseded by MySQL Workbench, and reached its End-of-Life with the beta releases of MySQL Workbench 5.2. However, the MySQL Support team continued to provide assistance for the bundle until June 30, 2010. Future releases of MySQL Workbench will add a migration plugin, providing features comparable to the MySQL Migration Toolkit component within the MySQL GUI Tools bundle.
Releases
The first preview version of MySQL Workbench was released in September 2005, and was not included in the MySQL GUI Tools Bundle. Development was started again in 2007 and MySQL Workbench was set to become the MySQL GUI flagship product.Version numbering was started 5.0 to emphasis the fact that MySQL Workbench was developed as the successor to DBDesigner4.
MySQL Workbench 5.0 and 5.1
MySQL Workbench 5.0 and 5.1 are specialized visual database designDatabase design
Database design is the process of producing a detailed data model of a database. This logical data model contains all the needed logical and physical design choices and physical storage parameters needed to generate a design in a Data Definition Language, which can then be used to create a database...
tools for the MySQL database. While MySQL Workbench 5.0 was a MS Windows only product cross-platform support was added to MySQL Workbench 5.1 and later.
MySQL Workbench 5.2
Starting with MySQL Workbench 5.2 the application has evolved to a general database GUI application. Apart from physical database modeling it features a SQL Editor and a database server administration interface, replacing the old MySQL GUI Tools Bundle. The new application however still does not support data Migration which was a part of the old tool set.Features
Prominent features of MySQL Workbench 5.2 are:- General
- Database Connection & Instance Management
- Wizard driven action items
- Fully scriptable with PythonPython (programming language)Python is a general-purpose, high-level programming language whose design philosophy emphasizes code readability. Python claims to "[combine] remarkable power with very clear syntax", and its standard library is large and comprehensive...
and Lua - Support for custom plugins
- SQL Editor
- Schema object browsing
- SQL syntax highlighter and statement parser
- Multiple-, editable result sets
- SQL snippets collections
- SSH connection tunneling
- Unicode support
- Data modeling
- ER diagramming
- Drag'n'Drop visual modeling
- Reverse engineering from SQL Scripts and live database
- Forward engineering to SQL Scripts and live database
- Schema synchronization
- Printing of models
- Import from fabFORCE.net DBDesigner4
- Database administration
- Start and stop of database instances
- Instance configuration
- Database account management
- Instance variables browsing
- Log file browsing
- Data dump export/import
Licensing and editions
MySQL Workbench is the first MySQL family of products that offer two different editions - an open source and a commercial edition. The "Community Edition" is a full featured product that is not crippled in any way. Being the foundation for all other editions it will benefit from all future development efforts. The commercial "Standard Edition" extends the Community Edition with a series of modules and plugins.As this business decision was announced soon after the takeover of MySQL by Sun Microsystems, this has caused speculation in the press about the future licensing of the MySQL database.
Community reception and reviews
Since its introduction MySQL Workbench has become popular within the MySQL community. Since 2010 it is now the second most downloaded product from the MySQL website with more than 250,000 downloads a month. Before that it was voted Database Tool of the Year 2009 on Developer.com.MySQL Workbench has been reviewed by the open source community and print magazines.
External links
- MySQL Workbench Product home page, MySQL.com. Retrieved 2010-03-26.
- MySQL Workbench Developer Central webpage, wb.MySQL.com. Retrieved 2010-03-26.