Arctype integrates MySQL GUI with PlanetScale
Today we are proud to announce our exclusive integration with Arctype, our favorite database GUI for developers.
Arctype features a fast, modern interface with many keyboard shortcuts, a command bar to quickly find objects, and the best support for JSON in a SQL client. It’s also free to use. You can already connect to the main branch of your PlanetScale database in Arctype, but today it’s possible to connect to development branches, switch between them, and even create deploy requests. The power of PlanetScale within a beautiful GUI! Check out the demo video for a full walkthrough.
Connecting#
This integration uses the pscale command line interface to kickstart the connection. You must have it installed and have run pscale auth login successfully. Then, after you download Arctype, you will see PlanetScale as an option when you add a new connection.
Click through, give your connection a name, and Save the connection to get access to all your databases and branches. You must be an administrator or have proper permissions on your organization to setup the integration. If you are only a member you can ask someone with permissions to share an Arctype workspace with you to connect to PlanetScale.
Switching branches#
By default you will be connected on the main branch. You can switch branches by selecting the Tables view in the left sidebar and toggling the second dropdown.
When you click the tables in the table list you will be able to edit them in a spreadsheet editing component. Recall that you can only make DDL changes - ALTER TABLE, ADD COLUMN, etc - on development branches. All Arctype’s tools to edit the schema, insert data, and sort and filter your tables work on your development branches.
When you are writing queries on development branches, you will see an additional filter in the query view that allows you to switch between multiple branches and run the same query across them. Saving a query works the same way. Every saved query is assigned to a PlanetScale database and a branch.
Deploy requests#
Once you are satisfied with your schema changes, you can create a PlanetScale deploy request directly in Arctype. You must choose which branch to apply your changes to, for example deploying dev to main.
When the request is created, you will get the URL for the request in a popup at the bottom right. You can click this URL to be taken directly to the PlanetScale web console and you can also copy the URL to share with a teammate for approval. Pro tip: when you send your team a deploy request to review, also send them a link to the query you have been using to test in Arctype. That way, your colleague will be able to review the schema changes and the data in the same context.
Next steps for the Arctype PlanetScale GUI#
We are tremendously excited about expanding the PlanetScale ecosystem with best in class tools. What features should we integrate next? You can let the Arctype team know on Twitter or in their Discord.