Interface Overview - Mastering phpMyAdmin 3.1 for Effective MySQL Management - page 53

The nested-level feature is intended only for improving the left panel
look. The proper way to reference the tables in MySQL statements stays
the same—for example, db1.payroll__jobs .
Beginning with phpMyAdmin 2.6.0, a click in the left panel on the project name
(here payroll ) opens this project in the right panel, showing only those tables
associated with that project.
Server-list choice
If we have to manage multiple servers from the same phpMyAdmin window and
often need to switch between servers, it might prove useful to always have the list
of servers in the left panel.