Flashmyadmin's birth

At the begining I was a PhpMyAdmin’s user rather satisfied exept for the delay between each event .

Nevertheless, the pages refresh was like a fatality of client-server on web.

After I knew software like "mysqlstudio" which was closed than type of GUI that I used (or made) before web.

But all theses software are not web-based thus not so open to many users and above all not free-softwares.

Then, when I understood, with its MX version , that Flash was not only a software to make movie and

graphism but it became also a real development tools. I said to myself : “Why not to make a PMA'like but

with

1/ instant access to all bases, tables, columns, etc on a single page (screen!)

2/ No delay to examine a data after a "release" or even "roolover" event

3/ with, if possible, a fluid and plaisant navigation.

That was my first idea and the name of FlashMyAdmin was evident.

After starting development, even if PMA was a model, I think about what could be specificities of FMA.

It's still a question and I'm open to discussions but the current features are or go to :

1/ Use of Flash’s characteristics :

Multimedia : The external files of which we write only the name in tables are visible (xml,email,gif) ) or 'played' directly in the application (mp3,jpeg,flv,swf) .

Data streaming : To read a lot of rows in transparent way for user, is almost impossible with Dhtml+Php and easy with Flash (onEnterFrame).

2 / Be easy to use, even for beginners who don't want to read a big documentation.

There are a little assistant for each frame and an audio help is planned.

3/ Make a serious software but plaisant and why not funny to use. Developers have the same rights than others to get fun and creativity. When FMA will be more advanced and stable I have some related ideas (surprise !!;)

I know that these goals are not yet reached but with external critics and contribution it's possible to reach them.

Complex functionnalities may, of course, be added to FMA but it's not my priority I leave that to PMA

which have to keep some advantages !!! ( I joke)

Detailled Features :

- Choices between a 100% or fixed 980X680 px display and between dark or light skin.

- All bases, tables, columns and indexs description are read from the starting of FMA.

- Native translation in english and spannish (except spanish help).
Easy to translate in other languages with more or less 200 words or short sentences.

- Data streaming : In theory there is no limit to the number of rows read at once, in practice : I test a 750 rows table. After the100 first rows Fma give you back the hand and continue to read 100 by 100 the remained rows.

- Internal visibility of external files (videos,audio,images,movieclips).

The multimedia types and their implicit folders may be handled by user in an XML file.

Other type like gif, email, xml, URL , rtf ...etc can be shown in a ' _blank' page .

- On-line -text and vocal- assistants : The basic system is made and ready to include from contributors rewrited or created new files (.swf and .mp3).

- Connection : Normal or to a single base in case of the user have an access denied to see bases's list.

Automatic connect.

- Normal DB frontend features : create, alter, drop and show the bases,tables,indexs and columns types.

& sort and select the list of records (tables's rows)

& insert, update, delete, view ... a record.

- Import from SQL format and Export to SQL,XML,CSV and ActionScript formats. For now Fma export only the current selected table but this -almost bug!- will be changed. There was bugs with import due to special characters like \" \' or \; , It's normally corrected but ...(?)

Design features :

- The flux is ActionScript <-> XML <-> PHP <-> MySql.

- Basic connection - no socket system- , no transaction and no locks for the moment.

- Object Oriented Programming : A.Script V1 & PHP.

- Require a Web server (Apache, IIS, etc), a PHP parser and a MySql server.
(for beginners, on a localhost, I recommand a package like EasyPhp)

- Tested on windows/linux clients and NT/Unix servers :

Normaly FMA is OS independent and usable on all browsers (with the Flash plugin).

- Automatic installation, RAR or ZIP for Windows and TAR.GZ archives for Linux with a readme.txt.

Way to navigate (ergonomics) :

There is no "hidden" menu in FMA and all the events or functionalities necessary to a given moment are immediately visible on screen.

When you "Click" on a data's name in a list (tables, bases, columns, etc) , the corresponding information is displayed and remain shown.

But if you just "rollover" the data's name, then, the corresponding frame(s) is displayed only during the "rollover" time then it disapear or return to the stable state corresponding to the last clicked -selected- data.

That seems to me a fluid and fast way to see informations about data before to select which one, you want to use.

Planned features :

- Normal Display of mySql’s result - not only, as now, in Xml format.

- Line-printer output of data's content and data's description.

- To introduce the concept of tables relations. (It will touch graphism and navigation)

- Run FMA with other DBM including a native XML DB with a light version of FMA – to be free of a webserver for testing or learning DB management.

Use precautions :

- After installation of each new version and only once, FMA need to read labels of the chosen language. So you have to click - in the first frame- on "french">"OK">"previous">"english">"OK"

- It is also recommended to clear the browser’s cache.

- If you don't have "show database" privileges on the server where you installed FMA, you must write something in the field "single basename" of "connection to the server" frame.The administrator has to give you, at least, the name of your own database.

Notes about some remarks that I received :

In the world of free-softwares some remarks that “Flash is a propriatory software..” :

It's true – and I bought Flash’s licence ;-) - but the FMA's code is in text files (*.as), visible in a standard editor and I learned lately that there is a free compilator named MTASC. The Flash’s IDE is necessary to modify the graphic interface but it shouldn’t the biggest job to integrate a .PSD or .AI work.

The Fma ergonomics may surprise some users. Nevertheless I believe in interesting alternatives between not to have consideration for user’s intuitivity and to follow an unique and current style. Like I wrote, Flash became a serious development tool but it still offer possibility to be creative in navigation choices.

The right equilibre is difficult to find and It’s sure I will be attentive with the opinion of the users’s majority.

What FMA is needed for ?

- First, if you appreciate the project, speake about it around you and put links into mails or website.

- Translators for either a single unit or the whole of the web, help and software.

- Pedagogues -with or without a nice voice- to make help. I suppose that an external eye is better than the author's one... (Feel free to think I’m lazy too ;-)

- Enough independent unit like impression may be done in AS. But I prefer to work over again the POO and put comment in the code before organize common development. Nevertheless sources are available and developpers can begin to study them in expectation of future participation or for their private use. (under the terme of licence of course )