How do I update just products through SQL from local site to live?

I have a local version of the live site (all the same except the config files) and the customer emails product changes/updates to me and I've been doing them locally then uploading the entire database.

It has occured to me that I am asking for trouble. By uploading the entire database I may over-write an order or new information related to customers. Although I download the database just before I make changes to the products someone might place an order and/or make changes to their account.

So, for those of you who have figured this out, could you give someone who has remedial skills with phpmyadmin, steps to updating just the product tables so I don't endanger the rest of the site?

I want to add new products, drop some products, update other products by overwriting the existing data on the live site with the data I have on my local server. And before someone states the obvious: I don't do all of this through the live site admin because I'm on dialup (yes, some of us live so far away from the hustle and bustle of the city we have no other option).

Thanks for your help.

This can be done via phpMyAdmin if you understand how the product tables fit together. But it would be easier to do it by using EasyPopulate, as that mod already has those relationships built-in.

kuroi,

Thanks. While EasyPopulate is a possible solution it's not the one I'm looking for. Is there any way to do this using PHPMyAdmin? Surely this isn't that complicated.

this may be of help:

http://www.zen-cart.com/wiki/index.php/Developers_-_Database_Schema#Product_Info