Easy way to export a SQL table without access to the server or phpMyADMIN

Question

I need a way to easily export and then import data in a MySQL table from a remote server to my home server. I don't have direct access to the server, and no utilities such as phpMyAdmin are installed. I do, however, have the ability to put PHP scripts on the server.

How do I get at the data?

I ask this question purely to record my way to do it

Solution 1

You could use SQL for this:

$file = 'backups/mytable.sql';
$result = mysql_query("SELECT * INTO OUTFILE '$file' FROM `##table##`");

Then just point a browser or FTP client at the directory/file (backups/mytable.sql). This is also a nice way to do incremental backups, given the filename a timestamp for example.

To get it back in to your DataBase from that file you can use:

$file = 'backups/mytable.sql';
$result = mysql_query("LOAD DATA INFILE '$file' INTO TABLE `##table##`");

The other option is to use PHP to invoke a system command on the server and run 'mysqldump':

$file = 'backups/mytable.sql';
system("mysqldump --opt -h ##databaseserver## -u ##username## -p ##password## ##database | gzip > ".$file);

Solution 2

I did it by exporting to CSV, and then importing with whatever utility is available. I quite like the use of the php://output stream.

$result = $db_con->query('SELECT * FROM `some_table`');
$fp = fopen('php://output', 'w');
if ($fp && $result) {
    header('Content-Type: text/csv');
    header('Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="export.csv"');
    while ($row = $result->fetch_array(MYSQLI_NUM)) {
        fputcsv($fp, array_values($row));
    }
    die;
}

Solution 3

You should also consider phpMinAdmin which is only one file, so its easy to upload and setup.

Solution 4

WORKING SOLUTION (latest version at: Export.php + Import.php )

EXPORT_TABLES("localhost","user","pass","db_name");

CODE:

//https://github.com/tazotodua/useful-php-scripts
function EXPORT_TABLES($host,$user,$pass,$name,  $tables=false, $backup_name=false ){
    $mysqli = new mysqli($host,$user,$pass,$name); $mysqli->select_db($name); $mysqli->query("SET NAMES 'utf8'");
    $queryTables = $mysqli->query('SHOW TABLES'); while($row = $queryTables->fetch_row()) { $target_tables[] = $row[0]; }   if($tables !== false) { $target_tables = array_intersect( $target_tables, $tables); }
    foreach($target_tables as $table){
        $result = $mysqli->query('SELECT * FROM '.$table);  $fields_amount=$result->field_count;  $rows_num=$mysqli->affected_rows;     $res = $mysqli->query('SHOW CREATE TABLE '.$table); $TableMLine=$res->fetch_row();
        $content = (!isset($content) ?  '' : $content) . "\n\n".$TableMLine[1].";\n\n";
        for ($i = 0, $st_counter = 0; $i < $fields_amount;   $i++, $st_counter=0) {
            while($row = $result->fetch_row())  { //when started (and every after 100 command cycle):
                if ($st_counter%100 == 0 || $st_counter == 0 )  {$content .= "\nINSERT INTO ".$table." VALUES";}
                    $content .= "\n(";
                    for($j=0; $j<$fields_amount; $j++)  { $row[$j] = str_replace("\n","\\n", addslashes($row[$j]) ); if (isset($row[$j])){$content .= '"'.$row[$j].'"' ; }else {$content .= '""';}     if ($j<($fields_amount-1)){$content.= ',';}      }
                    $content .=")";
                //every after 100 command cycle [or at last line] ....p.s. but should be inserted 1 cycle eariler
                if ( (($st_counter+1)%100==0 && $st_counter!=0) || $st_counter+1==$rows_num) {$content .= ";";} else {$content .= ",";} $st_counter=$st_counter+1;
            }
        } $content .="\n\n\n";
    }
    $backup_name = $backup_name ? $backup_name : $name."___(".date('H-i-s')."_".date('d-m-Y').")__rand".rand(1,11111111).".sql";
    header('Content-Type: application/octet-stream');   header("Content-Transfer-Encoding: Binary"); header("Content-disposition: attachment; filename=\"".$backup_name."\"");  echo $content; exit;
}

Solution 5

You might consider looking at: http://www.webyog.com This is a great GUI admin tool, and they have a really neat HTTP-Tunneling feature (I'm not sure if this is only in enterprise which costs a few bucks).

Basically you upload a script they provide into your webspace (php script) and point sqlyog manager to it and you can access the database(s). It uses this script to tunnel/proxy the requests/queries between your home client and the server.

I know at least 1 person who uses this method with great results.

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