PHP Generator for MySQL: Tools

Estimated reading time of this article: 3 minutes

How to you create a User Interface (UI) for a MySQL DB? How to automatically create PHP CRUD-forms for MySQL tables? What tools exist? Are there generators?

During my inquiry I found many tools and frameworks. Not surprising, it is a standard use case since many years.

Tools

Note: This list is certainly not complete. There are other tools.

Additionally, I was in only interested in the Symfony2 framework as this framework is the basis for Drupal 8. The framework CakePHP seems to support CRUD forms as well.

It took quite some time to find the best tool.

Finally, PHP Generator for MySQL seemed to fit best to my use case.

PHP Generator for MySQL

PHP Generator for MySQL is a powerful application. MySQL tables are read and CRUD forms can be generated.

PHP Generator for MySQL is a Windows application. However, it runs fine with Wine on Linux.

PHP Generator for MySQL ScreenshotPHP Generator for MySQL Demo Application Screenshot

There is a free and a commercial version. The free version is for small projects sufficient. I started my project first with the free version and then bought a license. The license for non-commercial usage is about 100$.1 This is a very good price/feature relation.

I worked now about quarter year with PHP Generator for MySQL. I think it is a useful tool. Until now, this tool is almost not covered in the web, beside the official documentation. I want to share some tips and my experiences. I intend to write some blog articles about PHP Generator for MySQL.

Limitations

PHP Generator for MySQL is best suited for cases where 1:1 forms for DB tables are required or sufficient. M:N relations are handled as detail views.

Users of the generated edit forms are required to understand the underlying DB data model.

Advantages

PHP Generator for MySQL allows to rapidly generate PHP forms for MySQL tables. The forms can be configured in the application.

Useful features are supported:

  • Overall search ("quick search")
  • Various filters for columns
  • Different editors for data types
  • Fixed table column headers
  • Tables are read and default settings are applied
  • Exports to common file formats (.csv, .xml, .xls)
  • Events

Conclusion

PHP Generator for MySQL is a useful and powerful tool and I am happy with it.

Conflict of Interests

No conflict of interests to declare. I am a "regular programmer" and I do not have any relationship with the manufacturer SQL Maestro Group.


  1. I bought my license with a Thanksgiving discount of 20%. Afterwards, there was even an Xmas discount of 25%. ↩︎