Are there any MySQL Client applications for Windows that get even close to what the Enterprise Manager / Server Management Studio is for Microsoft SQL?
I have two requirements and one "nice to have" feature:
Editing table structure should not be a pain in the a** -> I don't want to click an "add another column" button, then edit the column's properties in a new window. What I want is adding a new row in a "column-list table" as it is done in the Management Studio.
Same applies to adding new rows to the table. Should be as easy as editing an Excel sheet.
Nice to have: I'd like to have a feature that's comparable to the database diagrams in the Management Studio, where I can visualize "foreign key relations" between tables. They don't actually need to become constraints because I mainly use MyISAM (which doesn't support constraints). Just the diagrams are a lot of help.
Is there any application that you can recommend to me? Free would be a plus, but anything up to $100 would be okay, too.
[Update]
I'm going to test the recommended applications and give you an answer when I'm done.
HeidiSQL
I can give you an response to HeidiSQL at once, because that's one of the application's that I used before: Editing tables is a bit cumbersome, because most of the column's properties have to be edited in another window. Also it does not support character encoding, so I can't set my tables to "UTF-8". It does not have a diagram functionality. Editing data worked okay. So far HeidiSQL was one of the best application's I've tried... But there definitely is room for improval.
Toad for MySQL
I just gave Toad for MySQL a quick glimpse:
Editing Tables is in the same way cumbersome as it is in HeidiSQL: When you try to add another column, a new window opens where you enter the columns properties. It does support character encodings (collations), though. While you are in "data" view and want to add a new row (data) to the table, you need to create that row by pressing a button first. Then you can enter data. That's not as "excel-like" as I'd like to see it. It should add a new row when I press "down" in the last row or click the mouse in the first blank row.
The diagram editor is not so user friendly either. When I pull in a new window and drop it in the editing area it is not put where I dropped it. Some auto-arranging goes on. Also the editor is real slow. With a 2.4 GHz dual core machine you shouldn't feel a latency while the flickering window border tries to follow your mouse.
Ergo: Also nice, but not even close to Microsoft.
MySQL Workbench
As J Wynia mentioned in his post: MySQL Workbench is more about designing databases and exporting an "create" SQL script as it is about working with data. I haven't even found a function to connect to my database, so this is not what I'm looking for.
SQLyog
After a few moments of testing: I like SQLyog. Even though it has colors that hurt my eyes :)
Editing table: works nicely. Working with data: everything as expected. Running queries: I fell in love when I found the option to "Switch F5 and F9 functionalities". Exactly as in good ol' Query Analyzer.
There is no DB diagram feature, but I can live with that if I have to... In the end there's still Visio.
I might even consider paying money for this after some working with it.
DbVisualizer
Actually I don't think I really understand DbVisualizer. I get a window and when I open a database, it drops all tables in the drawing area. I can move them around, but I can't see an option to connect two tables, so I can't use it for real database diagrams. It displays the tables' contents nicely, but it seems to be read only. Best feature: There is a nice tab that tells me in big letters, that the table has XY rows. So very useless :)
Is there any editing functionality at all or is it just for browsing existing data?
Ah, I see. You have to pay $150 to get all editing functionality. Sorry, not with me.
