Access to Mysql without ODBC

hmm...my first problem seems to have gone unnoticed. Here is a second one that needs some attention from you guys.

How to convert an MS Access database into a MYSQL one?

The mysql is on a unix server running apache. So the solution has to be php based. Cannot use ODBC (or it would be a snap).

After reading the title and body of your post, I can fully understand what your problem is.

You can't convert your Access DB into a MySQL DB. You can create a MySQL, then the tables for holding the information, then export data from Access to CSV Files and later move from CSV to MySQL DB. Being this a manual process.

I'm not sure how ODBC plays a role in this problem, since you are talking about moving data from Access to MySQL, for being accessed by the PHP module of your Apache web server.

I was thinking about this at work and pretty much came up with about the same solution _Leo_ did. It's a bit of a pain, especially if it's a large database, but I'm not aware of anyway to export an Access database into any format that includes the SQL commands to create tables and insert the data. I was actually thinking comma delimited txt files, but I imagine the csv would work about the same.

I'm assuming that you're only talking about importing tables and the data in them?

For _Leo_ ODBC (Open Database Connectivity) is the set of protocols for accessing information in a SQL database server, such as the Jet database engine or MS SQL server. I don't believe it's available with Apache.

ATNO, don't worry, I know about ODBC. I just wonder why quantumcloud was thinking about ODBC.

I sorta assumed you did, but also assumed others who read this may not. This stuff still confuses me, since I'm in the learnig process. I'm thinking to myself often why can't there be just one easy way to make stuff like this work. Everyone want's a piece of the pie, I guess.

BTW _Leo_ you sig graphic has been 404'ing on me most of the evening when looking at this post.

_Leo_ and ATNO/TW,

Thanks for your suggestions. I did some more research and export to comma seperated text files and then insert with php seems to be the way to go for me for now.

Although, there are actually some free converters on the net that do it automatically. Like DB Tools and MySqlFronts. Has anyone used any of them before? I will give them a try in a while.

I was thinking about ODBC because if I could use ODBC, Access, and Mysql together, as in my harddrive, then I could just directly export the table from access.

1-Create an empty database in MySQL
2-Catalog MySQL database in ODBC
3-Export from Access, for every Access table, select the table, right-click and select Export then pick ODBC database (Save As Type...) , select ODBC entry you create at step 2 and done!

I did that for testing purpose.


I am just weary of doing it manually because there is a large number of tables involved. Better if something else did it for me. . I will inform you of the result after I actually get it done in a few days.

Thanks for the update...best of luck!

Ok, quantumcloud, I see your point now.


The webserver is in Argentina, as well as the DNS. I know the service didn't stop, but it could be an ISP issue for some of the hostings.