MySQL Query Browser∞ is an alternative to phpMyAdmin when it comes to managing your MySQL databases. You can use it to create, drop, and edit tables and perform queries. Setting up MySQL Query Browser to work with your ASO account is relatively simple.

Preparation

Before you even download Query Browser, you must first prepare your account. You will need an existing database and a user who has permissions on that database.

Since ASO limits which hosts can access MySQL, you also have to put your IP address on the list of allowed hosts:

1. In CPanel, find the Databases section and go to Remote MySQL. This page allows you to manage who can access MySQL from the outside world.
2. In the Host field, enter your IP address (if you do not know your IP address, visit WhatIsMyIP∞). If you have a dynamic IP address, you can enter % as a wildcard to allow a range of IP addresses. For example, if your IP is 255.255.255.255, you could enter 255.255.% in order to allow IPs such as 255.255.36.20 access as well.
3. Click Add Host to save your changes.

Download, Installation, and Setup

MySQL offers Query Browser as part of their GUI Tools bundle∞. Download the appropriate package for your system and then run the installation file. During the installation you can choose to install only MySQL Query Browser. Neither MySQL Administrator nor MySQL Migration Toolkit are really necessary for working with your ASO database.

Run MySQL Query Browser. A window that allows you to connect will appear. For future sessions it is helpful to save your connection by clicking the ellipsis next to Stored Connection. However, right now we will simply make the connection to the server.

For Server Host your account's domain name is fine. Leave Port on 3306. Then enter the username and password of a user you created in CPanel. Schema is a synonym for database, so enter one of your databases under Default Schema. You can easily change between databases once you've connected.
If you correctly added your IP address to the list of allowed hosts and you entered the right information to connect, then Query Browser's interface will open up and you can start managing your database!

Infinity and Beyond

The main Query Browser window has three important areas. Along the top is the text area where you can build and execute SQL queries. Below this is the results area. You can use manage multiple result sets at once using tabs and even split a tab so you can compare two sets. To the right of the results area is a list of databases and their tables. These allow you to quickly switch between databases and view or edit tables. Although you can do everything manually via SQL query, the Query Browser has decent GUI tools to create and edit table structures, which can often save time and stress over a misplaced quotation mark. It also comes with built-in documentation, allowing you to recall query syntax at the click of a button.