MySQL is a freesource relational database application that is prevalently used these days to manage database-centric applications. The best examples are WordPress and PHPNuke.
You can also install MySQL on your local machine whether it is running on Windows XP or a Linux distribution such as Ubuntu, and run it as a server. But managing databases and tables using command prompts can really be a big pain. You need GUI software that enables you to control and manipulate your databases and tables in MySQL.
Some of the applications that can help you manage MySQL easily on your PC are:
- MySQL-Front (one of the oldest, and my favorite)
- HeidiSQL (Nice, I’m currently using this)
- PHPMyAdmin (this comes with every hosting package, and you can also install it on your local machine)
- SQLyog MySQL GUI (wasn’t very happy with it)
These, and some more applications are discussed in this post on SmashingMagazine.
