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Ask HN: Why no SQL Query Tools for iPad? Am I missing something....

10 points by jason_slack ↗ HN
I noticed that there is only 1 real SQL tool for iPad. That is SQLite Editor.

Am I missing something there? It would seem there would be more something like Sequel Pro or MySQL Workbench for iPad.

Are there not a lot of these for an obvious reason?

13 comments

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thehodge
I have exactly the same query with SVN / Git tools, the iPhone has an SVN editor but it hasn't been updated in over a year and hasn't been ported to the iPad... there is a massive gap for even a small editor with git/svn support
sjs
May as well be web based imo. Editor + github/bitbucket + codepad[1] functionality sounds really interesting to me.

[1] http://codepad.org/

For the editor ymacs and of course bespin would be good choices.

wwortiz
You can't really use ymacs on an ipad can you?

It would probably have to be more button or menu driven.

sjs
True, ymacs is probably not the right solution for a touch device. You'd have to have a keyboard visible almost all the time.

Maybe using a hardware keyboard would be a requirement. Without a keyboard the iPad would still make a good code viewer.

Flemlord
Because you'd have to be insane to thumb-type SQL queries.
tbeseda
Except that I use a bluetooth keyboard with my iPad...
Construct
The iPad has a massive touchscreen. I can think of several clever ways to visually 'build' queries by dragging-and-dropping query building blocks, column names, etc. into place.

Designing iPad apps around the idea of typing everything in is quite wasteful of that big touchscreen. Also, it doesn't give anyone a reason to purchase your app when they can just type the queries into their laptop/desktop with great efficiency.

Leveraging the touchscreen to turn a typing task into a visual, tactile task is a great use of the iPad.

woodall
I agree with the "drag and drop" method of doing things. I was playing with it here, christopherwoodall.com/youtube , and found that it is much more enjoyable. Even on a PC.
jsatok
I agree that it's missing. I'd really like a SQL tool for the iPad, as I need to use an SSH client, then use mysql on the command line to query my databases.

I don't know anything about the porting process, but Sequel Pro for Mac is open source.

Could it be ported? http://code.google.com/p/sequel-pro/

micmcg
+1 Seems like it would be a handy tool, especially with a visual query builder
JunkDNA
I haven't searched it too much, but I suspect a lot of devs are just not interested in wading through the licensing swamp. For some commercial databases, the vendor may or may not allow for linking their drivers without a licensing deal. For a database released under GPL, there isn't a way to release into the app store and not get the FSF all bunched up. I do a lot of database work and this is a major reason I crossed this app idea off my list. It feels like a headache in the making.
SilentMobius
IMHO it's because the iOS ecosystem retards that "itch-scratch" development process and promotes the "only-if-it-makes-money" process. Most mid-range SQL tools were created to scratch an itch and the iPad is hardly the target market for high-end tools. I'd imagine you'll get cut down/client versions of FileMaker though (whether that's a good thing is up to you)