r/dbForge

SQL formatting feels like one of those things nobody cares about until they inherit a query from hell. A short query can look ugly and still be fine. But a huge report query with nested joins, random aliases, and conditions added by five different people over two years? That’s where formatting starts to matter. A SQL formatter won’t make bad SQL good. Would be nice, but no. It does make the mess easier to read. Same indentation, joins in predictable places, WHERE conditions not glued together like a ransom note. The only thing I hate is when a SQL beautifier goes too far and turns a normal query into a 200-line waterfall. Do you format SQL properly, or only clean it up when it gets embarrassing?

I keep switching between CLI and GUI tools for MySQL, and it feels like I still don’t have a final setup. CLI is fine for quick checks. Fast, simple, no weird UI behavior. But once the task gets bigger, I usually end up opening a MySQL GUI tool. Joins across messy tables, checking schema changes, comparing data, browsing records without losing my mind. Tried a few clients, and most of them have the same problem: either too basic, too slow, or packed with features I don’t touch.

At this point I’m just trying to find the best MySQL client that doesn’t get annoying after a week. What are you using in 2026? Still mostly CLI, or did a GUI finally win you over?