Because Databases Workbench supports multiple database systems, it can provide software developers with the same interface and development environment for these otherwise different database systems and also includes cross database tools.[2][3]
Database Workbench started out as a developer tool specifically forInterBase,"InterBase Workbench", initially modeled after theSQL Navigator tool forOracle Database byQuest Software.[4][5] During its early years, InterBase becameopen-source for a short while, and soon afterFirebird was created as a fork from theInterBase code base. The main developer of Database Workbench, Martijn Tonies,[6] was closely involved in the early development of Firebird, has been a committee member of theFirebird Foundation and continues to be a Foundation member and sponsor.[7]
Database Workbench continued to support both database systems, initially through a separate"Firebird Workbench" release.[8] Not long after, the program became interoperational between the different database systems and this initial support for multiple database systems led to the renaming of the product to its current title"Database Workbench" in 2003. It also opened the path to the inclusion of support for more database systems: support forMicrosoft SQL Server andMySQL was added in 2003; in 2005, support forOracle Database andNexusDB was added andSQL Anywhere support followed in 2008. Early 2010, a fullUnicode version of Database Workbench was released and version 5 of Database Workbench was released in August 2014.[9] In December 2021, Database Workbench 6 was released with a revamped user interface including a more consistent look and feel and the multi-threaded loading of database metadata. This version introduced the Enterprise Edition with its TeamServer component. In 2024,SQLite support was added.[10]
A free version for personal use with limited functionality,[11] Database Workbench Lite, is available for MySQL and Firebird.[12][13][14][15]
Version 1.4: 2002,Firebird Workbench to only work with Firebird.InterBase Workbench works with both Firebird and InterBase.
Version 2: 2003, renamedDatabase Workbench with modular approach for supported database systems, Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle and NexusDB support added.
Version 3: 2007, SQL Anywhere support added.
Version 4: 2010, fully Unicode enabled.
Version 5: 2014, High DPI aware and support for PostgreSQL added.
Version 6: 2021, Enterprise Edition added, a special multi-user version with central repository of servers, databases and workspaces and a database Version Control System. SQL Anywhere support removed.
