MySQL DB Manager

Version: 0.1.1

A desktop app (PySide6) for browsing and editing MySQL databases visually: connect to a server, pick a database, pick a table, see it as an editable grid, and either edit cells directly, use a guided form-based command builder, or drop into raw SQL.

This app is meant to be distributed as a compiled application: a Windows .exe and an Ubuntu .deb, both attached to the GitHub releases. End users should not need Python installed. The source code can also be run directly (see below) for development and testing.

Setup

cd mysql-db-manager
python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate        # Windows: .venv\Scripts\activate
pip install -r requirements.txt

Run from source (development)

python main.py

Running the raw code works fine and is the easiest way to test changes: edit, re-run, repeat. The compiled builds below are what get distributed.

What's in here

app/
  db/
    connection.py     # connect/execute wrapper around mysql-connector-python
    introspect.py     # SHOW DATABASES / SHOW TABLES / DESCRIBE
    query_builder.py  # builds parameterized INSERT/UPDATE/DELETE/CREATE USER
    table_model.py     # the editable grid's data model
  ui/
    login_page.py        # host/port/user/password + saved profiles
    db_browser_page.py    # pick a database
    table_browser_page.py # pick a table
    table_view_page.py     # the grid + guided commands + raw SQL, as tabs
    command_panel.py       # the guided, form-based command builder
    sql_box.py              # raw SQL escape hatch
    main_window.py          # menu bar + page routing + app state
  config/
    credentials_store.py  # saved profiles (JSON) + passwords (OS keyring)
main.py                  # entry point

Using it

1. Connect: fill in host/port/username/password. Check "Save this connection" to store it -- the password goes into your OS's secure credential store (Windows Credential Manager / Linux Secret Service via the keyring library), never into a plain text file.
2. Pick a database, then pick a table. Each list also has a New Database... / New Table... button -- the latter opens a dialog where you define columns (name, type, length, nullable, primary key, auto-increment, default) and it builds the CREATE TABLE for you.
3. Table Data tab: the grid shows the table live. Edit any existing cell and it commits as an UPDATE as soon as you move off it. Type into the bottom row (marked *) to add a new row -- it commits as an INSERT once you click away from it.
4. Guided Commands tab: pick INSERT/UPDATE/DELETE, fill in the labeled fields (built from the table's own columns), hit Run. No SQL typing required.
5. Raw SQL tab: type anything and run it, for when you need something the guided builder doesn't cover.
6. Menu bar: Account menu has Create New User and Manage Permissions (both only enabled when logged in as root), Switch User/Reconnect, and Disconnect. Navigate menu lets you jump back to pick a different database or table at any time.
7. Manage Permissions: pick a user (existing ones are listed, or type a new one), a database/table scope (or "all"), check the privileges you want, and hit Grant -- builds and runs the GRANT plus FLUSH PRIVILEGES for you. "Show Current Grants" runs SHOW GRANTS FOR so you can see what a user already has before changing anything.

Notes / things worth knowing

• Editing a cell only works on tables that have a primary key (needed to target the right row for the UPDATE). Tables without one will show an error if you try to edit a cell -- use the Raw SQL tab for those.
• CREATE USER requires appropriate privileges on the server (typically root, or any account granted CREATE USER).
• All identifiers (database/table/column names) used in generated SQL come from the server itself (SHOW DATABASES/SHOW TABLES/DESCRIBE), and all values are sent as query parameters -- never string-concatenated -- so normal use doesn't risk SQL injection.

Building the compiled apps

The app is compiled with PyInstaller. Build on each target OS separately -- PyInstaller doesn't cross-compile.

Windows .exe (run on a Windows machine, in PowerShell):

.venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1
pip install pyinstaller
packaging\windows\build_exe.ps1

The exe lands at dist\MySQLDBManager-<version>.exe, with the version taken from VERSION.

Ubuntu .deb (run on an Ubuntu machine). A script runs PyInstaller and then packages the binary with dpkg-deb:

source .venv/bin/activate
pip install pyinstaller
packaging/deb/build_deb.sh

The package lands at dist/mysql-db-manager_<version>_<arch>.deb, with the version taken from VERSION. Install it with:

sudo apt install ./dist/mysql-db-manager_<version>_<arch>.deb

The package's Depends: list (in packaging/deb/control.in) covers the system libraries Qt needs on Ubuntu. If the app fails to start on a clean machine, check that list first.

If PyInstaller complains about missing Qt plugins, add --collect-all PySide6 to the PyInstaller command in packaging/deb/build_deb.sh.

Compiled builds are uploaded to the GitHub repository's releases.