Looking for a 'grid' data entry tool for sqlite (or maybe mysql)

[Chris Green]

On Wed, Jan 18, 2012 at 12:28:18AM +0000, Steve Flynn wrote:
> On 17 January 2012 18:00, Chris Green <cl at isbd.net> wrote:
> > I'm after an application which will allow me to enter data into a sqlite
> > database using a 'grid' layout of the data.  I.e. I want the existing
> > contents of the database displayed as a table and I want to be able to
> > click on a field in a row and just edit the data in place.  In addition
> > I want to be able to use the TAB key to move from field to field
> > (another key would be OK, just not the mouse).  There should be an empty
> > row at the bottom for entering a new row.
> 
> 
> SQL Developer should fit the bill for you. RPM's available from
> http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/developer-tools/sql-developer/downloads/index.html
> 
> We use it for our Oracle databases, but as it has ODBC capability you
> should be able to point it at pretty much any compliant database
> system.
> 
I think that is just a *huge* (there's 147Mb of it) tool for doing
database management.  I've looked at the overview and documentation and
it has all the usual stuff for creating databases, importing data,
building queries, etc.  but nothing for *editing* the data once in the
table.  I guess one would call what I want 'forms'.  The first paragraph
of "What is SQL Developer" says:-

    Oracle SQL Developer is a free graphical tool for database development.
    With SQL Developer, you can browse database objects, run SQL statements
    and SQL scripts, and edit and debug PL/SQL statements. You can also run
    any number of provided reports, as well as create and save your own. SQL
    Developer enhances productivity and simplifies your database development tasks.

A brilliant list of all the things I don't want!  :-)   I don't want
something to design/create my database, I already have the database.  I
don't want to run complex queries on the data so SQL editors and
debuggers are irrelevant.  I don't want to create reports.  I just want
a straightforward way to enter data into my database.

I'm really using the database as a simple (and easy to manipulate) store
for tabular data, I'm not using the relational capabilities at all for
this (well these - several similar applications).  I just need an easy
way to enter tabular data and then (where the fact that it's a database
helps) ways of extracting the data with filtering/sorting.

I *could* just use a text file arranged in columns but that gets clumsy
for resizing columns etc. plus I'd have to write code to extract the
data in ways I wanted it.  A database provides much of the basic tools I
want but without simple data entry I'm a bit stuck.  I guess I might
look into ways and means of converting from some other format (e.g. a
table in a wordprocessor) which makes the editing easy, to and from the
database. 

-- 
Chris Green