How to create a table in PhpMyAdmin

WAMP server

Step 1
First of all start your XAMPP or WAMPP server. Then go to the link bar of your browser and
type localhost/phpmyadmin and click enter.Then you find a page like this

Then click on the new button that is available on the sidebar of that page.

Step 2
After click on the new button you find a page like that

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Here put a name of your own choice on the create database field and click on
the createbutton and you get a successful message on the screen that you create
database successfully and will appear in the database list.

Now i am going to show you how to create a table in PhpMyAdmin under the database
that i have create currently.

Note: You can’t create table if you not have a database so first create database.

Step 3
Click on the database name in which under you create a table.After click on the database
name you find a page like that.

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Here you have two option to create table first one is using structure and second one is
using SQL.If you want to create table in structure option then put your table name on the
create table name field and choose columns and click on the go button.

If you want to create a table by writing SQL Query simply click on the SQL button on the
page and write your query and click on the go button.

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If your SQL query is correct you find a page like that.

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How to Create, Edit, and Delete Foreign Key –
phpMyAdmin
Agus Prawoto Hadi

Update: May 16, 2016

Today we’ll discuss how to create a foreign key using phpMyAdmin as well as editing and deleting it.
This article is quite long, so if you want to jump to the section that suits your need, please click the
following links:

1. 3 conditions that should be met to create a foreign key: (1) The storage engine must InnoDB, (2)
Field should be as an index, (3) All the values in the field of child table should exist in the
reference field in the parent table.

2. How to create InnoDB Storage Engine or change the existing into InnoDB

3. Creating foreign key using phpMyAdmin.

4. Why “Relation View” Link Doesn’t Appear.

5. How to edit or delete a foreign key using phpMyAdmin.

6. Some possible error while creating a foreign key.

I. 3 Requirements to Create A Foreign Key

Before we create a foreign key, first, we need to ensure that the requirements needed to make a foreign
key have been met. These requirements are:

aMake sure the storage engine used by the tables are InnoDB

The first thing should be considered to create a foreign key (FK) is ensuring the storage engine used on
the tables are InnoDB, because only this engine supports foreign key.

To check the engine of tables, first, choose the desired database, then in the list of tables, see the
“Type” column. The following figure shows the engine of tables

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b Make sure fields in the main and reference tables are used as an
index or primary key

To be able to create a foreign key, the second requirement that should be met is: the field that you want
to use as the foreign key as well as the field that will be used as a reference (in the reference table),
should be used as an index or primary key.

How to check: If you are using phpMyAdmin version 4.5 and above, there will be gray key icon to the
right of the field name, while in the version 4.4 and earlier, we have to click the “Index” link located at
the bottom of the list of tables, see the following figure:

phpMyAdmin >= 4.5

phpMyAdmin <= 4.4

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c All values in the fields that will be used as FK must exist in the
field of reference table.

In order to successfully create a foreign key, if the field we want to make a foreign key has values, then
it must exist in the field of references table.

For example, we have sales table which has product_id field and we’ll make it as a FK that reference
to product_id field in the product table. Suppose the first row in the product_id field of sales table
contains a value: 1, the second row: 2 and third row: 3, then field product_id in
the product table must contain these values.

How to create InnoDB table or change the existing Storage Engine to

InnoDB

To create a table with InnoDB Storage Engine, simply select the InnoDB Storage Engine on the option
located at the bottom:

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To change the Storage Engine of existing table, first, choose the table, then click on Operations tab
menu. In the “Table options” section, change the Storage Engine into InnoDB, click “Go” button to save
the change.

II. How to Create a Foreign Key Using phpMyAdmin

After discussing the requirements to create a foreign key, now we come to the main part of this article,
how to create a foreign key using phpMyAdmin.

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aSchemes and relationships of tables

In order to easy to understand, suppose we have a database named online_shop that contains there
tables: sales, product, and customer. sales table contains two fields: product_id and customer_id. We’ll
make these fields as FK with the following condition:

 product_id references to product_id field of the product table.

 customer_id field references to product_id field of the customer table

Table structure and relationships between tables look like the following figure:

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bGo to relations view page on phpMyAdmin

The next step: go to Relation View page of the sales table, to do so, Select the sales table » select
the Structure tab » click the Relation View link, the location of Relation View link is differ depending on

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the version of phpMyAdmin. These figures show the Relation View link in the different version of
phpMyAdmin:

phpMyAdmin >= 4.4

phpMyAdmin <= 4.0

Relation View Link Does Not Appear

For phpMyAdmin 4.4 and above, if the tables are still using MyISAM engine, then the link Relation View
will not appear, while for phpMyAdmin version 4.0 and earlier, the link is still exists, but when clicked,
the Foreign key constraint (INNODB) options does not appear, as shown in the following figure:

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c Fill in the parameter in the Relation View Page

Once entered into Relations View page, the next step is filling parameters. Filling parameters for
creating a foreign key to customer_id and product_id field of sales table look like the following figure:

Foreign Key Constraint for phpMyAdmin >= 4.4

Foreign Key Constraint for phpMyAdmin <= 4.0

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Description:

1. Fill constraint name, choose a name that reflects their relationships, in this example we
use fk_sales_product, which means the foreign key in the sales table reference to
the product table.

2. Select the fields that you want to make it as a foreign key (phpMyAdmin> = 4.4).

3. Select the database where the table that contains the reference field is located.

4. Select the table where the reference field is located.

5. Select the reference field.

6. In the ON DELETE options, select CASCADE, which means if we remove rows in the reference
table (product), then the row in the FK table (sales) that has same product_id will also be
deleted.

7. In the ON UPDATE options, select CASCADE, which means if we update customer_id field value
in the reference table (customer), then customer_id field in the FK table will also be updated.

Next, click the save, if successful then a message appears told that the query was successfully
executed.

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II. How to Edit a Foreign Key Using phpMyAdmin
To edit a foreign key that we have made, first, go to Relation View page, the way is same as when we
want to add a foreign key (click here), then change the existing parameters (same as section IIc above),
once finished, click save button to save the change.

III. How to Remove / Delete a Foreign Key Using

phpMyAdmin
Sometimes we want to remove the foreign key (FK) that we have made, either because it is no longer in
use or because of its field structure changed. To remove FK, first enter the Relation View page (click
here), then:

 For phpMyAdmin version <= 4.0 clear the fields on the Foreign key constraint
(INNODB) column then click save/save.

 For phpMyAdmin version > = 4.4 just click the “Drop” button located on the left side of the
constraint name.

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IV. Some Possible Error While Creating a Foreign Key
While creating a foreign key, sometimes we encounter an error like this:

ALTER TABLE `sales` ADD CONSTRAINT `fk_sales_pelanggan` FOREIGN KEY (`id_pelanggan`)

REFERENCES `online_shop`.`pelanggan`(`id_pelanggan`) ON DELETE CASCADE ON UPDATE
CASCADE;#1452 - Cannot add or update a child row: a foreign key constraint fails
(`online_shop`.`#sql-ccc_e7`, CONSTRAINT `fk_sales_pelanggan` FOREIGN KEY (`id_pelanggan`)
REFERENCES `pelanggan` (`id_pelanggan`) ON DELETE CASCADE ON UPDATE CASCADE)

This error is caused due to the value of the field that is used as a foreign key (customer_id field in
the salestable) does not exist in the field that is used as a reference (customer_id field in
the customer table).

To resolve this error, add values to customer_id field of customer table that do not exist in
the customer_id field of sales table.

Closing
Making foreign key becomes easier using phpMyAdmin since it provides a Graphical User Interface
(GUI) that is easy to use, but as the development of the applications, the GUI may be changed in
future versions, so it likely needs an adjustment in the future.

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