Usql – Universal command-line interface for SQL databases
GitHub - xo/usql: Universal command-line interface for SQL databases




usql is a universal command-line interface for PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle
Database, SQLite3, Microsoft SQL Server, and many other databases
including NoSQL and non-relational databases!
usql provides a simple way to work with SQL and NoSQL databases
via a command-line inspired by PostgreSQL's psql. usql supports most of the
core psql features, such as variables, backticks,
backslash commands and has additional features that psql does
not, such as multiple database support, copying between databases,
syntax highlighting, context-based completion,
and terminal graphics.
Database administrators and developers that would prefer to work with a tool
like psql with non-PostgreSQL databases, will find usql intuitive,
easy-to-use, and a great replacement for the command-line clients/tools
for other databases.




Installing
usql can be installed via Release, via Homebrew, via AUR, via
Scoop, via Go, or via Docker:
Installing via Release

Download a release for your platform
Extract the usql or usql.exe file from the .tar.bz2 or .zip file
Move the extracted executable to somewhere on your $PATH (Linux/macOS) or
%PATH% (Windows)

Installing via Homebrew (macOS and Linux)
Install usql from the xo/xo tap in the usual way with the brew
command:
# install usql with most drivers
$ brew install xo/xo/usql
Support for ODBC databases is available through the --with-odbc
install flag:
# add xo tap
$ brew tap xo/xo

# install usql with odbc support
$ brew install --with-odbc usql
Installing via AUR (Arch Linux)
Install usql from the Arch Linux AUR in the usual way with the yay
command:
# install usql with most drivers
$ yay -S usql
Alternately, build and install using makepkg:
$ git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/usql.git && cd usql
$ makepkg -si
==> Making package: usql 0.12.10-1 (Fri 26 Aug 2022 05:56:09 AM WIB)
==> Checking runtime dependencies...
==> Checking buildtime dependencies...
==> Retrieving sources...
  -> Downloading usql-0.12.10.tar.gz...
...
Installing via Scoop (Windows)
Install usql using Scoop:
# Optional: Needed to run a remote script the first time
> Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser

# install scoop if not already installed
> irm get.scoop.sh | iex

# install usql with scoop
> scoop install usql
Installing via Go
Install usql in the usual Go fashion:
# install latest usql version with base drivers
$ go install github.com/xo/usql@latest

# alternately, install usql with most drivers (see below for info about build tags)
$ go install -tags most github.com/xo/usql@latest
See below for information on usql build tags.
Installing via Docker
An official container image (docker.io/usql/usql) is maintained
by the usql team, and can be used with Docker, Podman, or other container
runtime.
Install usql with Docker, Podman, or other container runtime:
# run interactive shell and mount the $PWD/data directory as a volume for use
# within the container
$ docker run --rm -it --volume $(pwd)/data:/data docker.io/usql/usql:latest sqlite3://data/test.db
Trying to pull docker.io/usql/usql:latest...
Getting image source signatures
Copying blob af48168d69d8 done   |
Copying blob efc2b5ad9eec skipped: already exists
Copying config 917ceb411d done   |
Writing manifest to image destination
Connected with driver sqlite3 (SQLite3 3.45.1)
Type "help" for help.

sq:data/test.db=> \q

# run postgres locally
$ docker run --detach --rm --name=postgres --publish=5432:5432 --env=POSTGRES_PASSWORD=P4ssw0rd docker.io/usql/postgres

# connect to local postgres instance
$ docker run --rm --network host -it docker.io/usql/usql:latest postgres://postgres:P4ssw0rd@localhost
Connected with driver postgres (PostgreSQL 16.3 (Debian 16.3-1.pgdg120+1))
Type "help" for help.

pg:postgres@localhost=> \q

# run specific usql version
$ docker run --rm -it docker.io/usql/usql:0.19.3
Building
When building usql out-of-the-box with go build or go install, only the
base drivers for PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite3, Microsoft SQL
Server, Oracle, CSVQ will be included in the build:
# build/install with base drivers (PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite3, Microsoft SQL Server,
# Oracle, CSVQ)
$ go install github.com/xo/usql@master
Other databases can be enabled by specifying the build tag for their database
driver.
# build/install with base, Avatica, and ODBC drivers
$ go install -tags 'avatica odbc' github.com/xo/usql@master
For every build tag <driver>, there is also a no_<driver> build tag
that will disable the driver:
# build/install most drivers, excluding Avatica, Couchbase, and PostgreSQL
$ go install -tags 'most no_avatica no_couchbase no_postgres' github.com/xo/usql@master
By specifying the build tags most or all, the build will include most, and
all SQL drivers, respectively:
# build/install with most drivers (excludes CGO drivers and problematic drivers)
$ go install -tags most github.com/xo/usql@master

# build/install all drivers (includes CGO drivers and problematic drivers)
$ go install -tags all github.com/xo/usql@master
Database Support
usql works with all Go standard library compatible SQL drivers supported by
github.com/xo/dburl.
The list of drivers that usql was built with can be displayed with the
\drivers command:
$ cd $GOPATH/src/github.com/xo/usql

# build excluding the base drivers, and including cassandra and moderncsqlite
$ go build -tags 'no_postgres no_oracle no_sqlserver no_sqlite3 cassandra moderncsqlite'

# show built driver support
$ ./usql -c '\drivers'
Available Drivers:
  cql [ca, scy, scylla, datastax, cassandra]
  memsql (mysql) [me]
  moderncsqlite [mq, sq, file, sqlite, sqlite3, modernsqlite]
  mysql [my, maria, aurora, mariadb, percona]
  tidb (mysql) [ti]
  vitess (mysql) [vt]
The above shows that usql was built with only the mysql, cassandra (ie,
cql), and moderncsqlite drivers. The output above reflects information
about the drivers available to usql, specifically the internal driver name,
its primary URL scheme, the driver's available scheme aliases (shown in
[...]), and the real/underlying driver (shown in (...)) for wire compatible
drivers.
Supported Database Schemes and Aliases
The following are the Go SQL drivers that usql supports, the
associated database, scheme / build tag, and scheme aliases:




Database
Scheme / Tag
Scheme Aliases
Driver Package / Notes




PostgreSQL
postgres
pg, pgsql, postgresql
github.com/lib/pq


MySQL
mysql
my, maria, aurora, mariadb, percona
github.com/go-sql-driver/mysql


Microsoft SQL Server
sqlserver
ms, mssql, azuresql
github.com/microsoft/go-mssqldb


Oracle Database
oracle
or, ora, oci, oci8, odpi, odpi-c
github.com/sijms/go-ora/v2


SQLite3
sqlite3
sq, sqlite, file
github.com/mattn/go-sqlite3 †


ClickHouse
clickhouse
ch
github.com/ClickHouse/clickhouse-go/v2


CSVQ
csvq
cs, csv, tsv, json
github.com/mithrandie/csvq-driver








Alibaba MaxCompute
maxcompute
mc
sqlflow.org/gomaxcompute


Alibaba Tablestore
ots
ot, tablestore
github.com/aliyun/aliyun-tablestore-go-sql-driver


Apache Avatica
avatica
av, phoenix
github.com/apache/calcite-avatica-go/v5


Apache H2
h2

github.com/jmrobles/h2go


Apache Hive
hive
hi, hive2
sqlflow.org/gohive


Apache Ignite
ignite
ig, gridgain
github.com/amsokol/ignite-go-client/sql


AWS Athena
athena
s3, aws, awsathena
github.com/uber/athenadriver/go


Azure CosmosDB
cosmos
cm
github.com/btnguyen2k/gocosmos


Cassandra
cassandra
ca, scy, scylla, datastax, cql
github.com/MichaelS11/go-cql-driver


ChaiSQL
chai
ci, genji, chaisql
github.com/chaisql/chai/driver


Couchbase
couchbase
n1, n1ql
github.com/couchbase/go_n1ql


Cznic QL
ql
cznic, cznicql
modernc.org/ql


Databend
databend
dd, bend
github.com/datafuselabs/databend-go


Databricks
databricks
br, brick, bricks, databrick
github.com/databricks/databricks-sql-go


DuckDB
duckdb
dk, ddb, duck, file
github.com/marcboeker/go-duckdb †


DynamoDb
dynamodb
dy, dyn, dynamo, dynamodb
github.com/btnguyen2k/godynamo


Exasol
exasol
ex, exa
github.com/exasol/exasol-driver-go


Firebird
firebird
fb, firebirdsql
github.com/nakagami/firebirdsql


FlightSQL
flightsql
fl, flight
github.com/apache/arrow/go/v17/arrow/flight/flightsql/driver


Google BigQuery
bigquery
bq
gorm.io/driver/bigquery/driver


Google Spanner
spanner
sp
github.com/googleapis/go-sql-spanner


Microsoft ADODB
adodb
ad, ado
github.com/mattn/go-adodb


ModernC SQLite3
moderncsqlite
mq, modernsqlite
modernc.org/sqlite


MySQL MyMySQL
mymysql
zm, mymy
github.com/ziutek/mymysql/godrv


Netezza
netezza
nz, nzgo
github.com/IBM/nzgo/v12


PostgreSQL PGX
pgx
px
github.com/jackc/pgx/v5/stdlib


Presto
presto
pr, prs, prestos, prestodb, prestodbs
github.com/prestodb/presto-go-client/presto


RamSQL
ramsql
rm, ram
github.com/proullon/ramsql/driver


SAP ASE
sapase
ax, ase, tds
github.com/thda/tds


SAP HANA
saphana
sa, sap, hana, hdb
github.com/SAP/go-hdb/driver


Snowflake
snowflake
sf
github.com/snowflakedb/gosnowflake


Trino
trino
tr, trs, trinos
github.com/trinodb/trino-go-client/trino


Vertica
vertica
ve
github.com/vertica/vertica-sql-go


VoltDB
voltdb
vo, vdb, volt
github.com/VoltDB/voltdb-client-go/voltdbclient


YDB
ydb
yd, yds, ydbs
github.com/ydb-platform/ydb-go-sdk/v3








GO DRiver for ORacle
godror
gr
github.com/godror/godror †


ODBC
odbc
od
github.com/alexbrainman/odbc †








Amazon Redshift
postgres
rs, redshift
github.com/lib/pq ‡


CockroachDB
postgres
cr, cdb, crdb, cockroach, cockroachdb
github.com/lib/pq ‡


OLE ODBC
adodb
oo, ole, oleodbc
github.com/mattn/go-adodb ‡


SingleStore MemSQL
mysql
me, memsql
github.com/go-sql-driver/mysql ‡


TiDB
mysql
ti, tidb
github.com/go-sql-driver/mysql ‡


Vitess Database
mysql
vt, vitess
github.com/go-sql-driver/mysql ‡








Apache Impala
impala
im
github.com/bippio/go-impala








NO DRIVERS
no_base

no base drivers (useful for development)


MOST DRIVERS
most

all stable drivers


ALL DRIVERS
all

all drivers, excluding bad drivers


BAD DRIVERS
bad

bad drivers (broken/non-working drivers)


NO <TAG>
no_<tag>

exclude driver with <tag>





  
    † Requires CGO
    ‡ Wire compatible (see respective driver)
  

Any of the protocol schemes/aliases above can be used in conjunction when
connecting to a database via the command-line or with the \connect and
\copy commands:
# connect to a vitess database:
$ usql vt://user:pass@host:3306/mydatabase

$ usql
(not connected)=> \c vitess://user:pass@host:3306/mydatabase

$ usql
(not connected)=> \copy csvq://. pg://localhost/ 'select * ....' 'myTable'
See the section below on connecting to databases for further
details building DSNs/URLs for use with usql.
Using
After installing, usql can be used similarly to the following:
# connect to a postgres database
$ usql postgres://booktest@localhost/booktest

# connect to an oracle database
$ usql oracle://user:pass@host/oracle.sid

# connect to a postgres database and run the commands contained in script.sql
$ usql pg://localhost/ -f script.sql
Command-line Options
Supported command-line options:
$ usql --help
usql, the universal command-line interface for SQL databases

Usage:
  usql [flags]... [DSN]

Arguments:
  DSN   database url or connection name

Flags:
  -c, --command COMMAND                     run only single command (SQL or internal) and exit
  -f, --file FILE                           execute commands from file and exit
  -w, --no-password                         never prompt for password
  -X, --no-init                             do not execute initialization scripts (aliases: --no-rc --no-psqlrc --no-usqlrc)
  -o, --out FILE                            output file
  -W, --password                            force password prompt (should happen automatically)
  -1, --single-transaction                  execute as a single transaction (if non-interactive)
  -v, --set NAME=VALUE                      set variable NAME to VALUE (see \set command, aliases: --var --variable)
  -N, --cset NAME=DSN                       set named connection NAME to DSN (see \cset command)
  -P, --pset VAR=ARG                        set printing option VAR to ARG (see \pset command)
  -F, --field-separator FIELD-SEPARATOR     field separator for unaligned and CSV output (default "|" and ",")
  -R, --record-separator RECORD-SEPARATOR   record separator for unaligned and CSV output (default \n)
  -T, --table-attr TABLE-ATTR               set HTML table tag attributes (e.g., width, border)
  -A, --no-align                            unaligned table output mode
  -H, --html                                HTML table output mode
  -t, --tuples-only                         print rows only
  -x, --expanded                            turn on expanded table output
  -z, --field-separator-zero                set field separator for unaligned and CSV output to zero byte
  -0, --record-separator-zero               set record separator for unaligned and CSV output to zero byte
  -J, --json                                JSON output mode
  -C, --csv                                 CSV output mode
  -G, --vertical                            vertical output mode
  -q, --quiet                               run quietly (no messages, only query output)
      --config string                       config file
  -V, --version                             output version information, then exit
  -?, --help                                show this help, then exit
Connecting to Databases
usql opens a database connection by parsing a URL and passing the
resulting connection string to a database driver. Database
connection strings (aka "data source name" or DSNs) have the same parsing rules
as URLs, and can be passed to usql via command-line, or to the \connect,
\c, and \copy commands.
Database connections can be defined with the \cset command
or in the config.yaml configuration file.
Database Connection Strings
Database connection strings look like the following:
  driver+transport://user:pass@host/dbname?opt1=a&opt2=b
  driver:/path/to/file
  /path/to/file
  name
Where the above are:



Component
Description




driver
driver scheme name or scheme alias


transport
tcp, udp, unix or driver name (for ODBC and ADODB)


user
username


pass
password


host
hostname


dbname ±
database name, instance, or service name/ID


?opt1=a&...
additional database driver options (see respective SQL driver for available options)


/path/to/file
a path on disk


name
a connection name set by \cset or in config.yaml




  
    
      ± Some databases, such as Microsoft SQL Server, or Oracle
      Database support a path component (ie, /dbname) in the form
      of /instance/dbname, where /instance is the
      optional service identifier (aka "SID") or database instance
    
  

Driver Aliases
usql supports the same driver names and aliases as the dburl
package. Databases have at least one or more aliases. See dburl's
scheme documentation for a list of all supported aliases.
Short Aliases
All database drivers have a two character short form that is usually the first
two letters of the database driver. For example, pg for postgres, my for
mysql, ms for sqlserver, or for oracle, or sq for sqlite3.
Passing Driver Options
Driver options are specified as standard URL query options in the form of
?opt1=a&opt2=b. Refer to the relevant database driver's documentation
for available options.
Paths on Disk
If a URL does not have a driver: scheme, usql will check if it is a path on
disk. If the path exists, usql will attempt to use an appropriate database
driver to open the path.
When the path is a Unix Domain Socket, usql will attempt to open it with the
MySQL driver. When the path is a directory, usql will attempt to open it
using the PostgreSQL driver. And, lastly, when the path is a regular file,
usql will attempt to open the file using the SQLite3 or DuckDB drivers.
Driver Defaults
As with URLs, most components in the URL are optional and many components can
be left out. usql will attempt connecting using defaults where possible:
# connect to postgres using the local $USER and the unix domain socket in /var/run/postgresql
$ usql pg://
See the relevant documentation on database drivers for more
information.
Connection Examples
The following are example connection strings and additional ways to connect to
databases using usql:
# connect to a postgres database
$ usql pg://user:pass@host/dbname
$ usql pgsql://user:pass@host/dbname
$ usql postgres://user:pass@host:port/dbname
$ usql pg://
$ usql /var/run/postgresql
$ usql pg://user:pass@host/dbname?sslmode=disable # Connect without SSL

# connect to a mysql database
$ usql my://user:pass@host/dbname
$ usql mysql://user:pass@host:port/dbname
$ usql my://
$ usql /var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock

# connect to a sqlserver database
$ usql sqlserver://user:pass@host/instancename/dbname
$ usql ms://user:pass@host/dbname
$ usql ms://user:pass@host/instancename/dbname
$ usql mssql://user:pass@host:port/dbname
$ usql ms://

# connect to a sqlserver database using Windows domain authentication
$ runas /user:ACME\wiley /netonly "usql mssql://host/dbname/"

# connect to a oracle database
$ usql or://user:pass@host/sid
$ usql oracle://user:pass@host:port/sid
$ usql or://

# connect to a cassandra database
$ usql ca://user:pass@host/keyspace
$ usql cassandra://host/keyspace
$ usql cql://host/
$ usql ca://

# connect to a sqlite database that exists on disk
$ usql dbname.sqlite3

# Note: when connecting to a SQLite database, if the "driver://" or
# "driver:" scheme/alias is omitted, the file must already exist on disk.
#
# if the file does not yet exist, the URL must incorporate file:, sq:, sqlite3:,
# or any other recognized sqlite3 driver alias to force usql to create a new,
# empty database at the specified path:
$ usql sq://path/to/dbname.sqlite3
$ usql sqlite3://path/to/dbname.sqlite3
$ usql file:/path/to/dbname.sqlite3

# connect to a adodb ole resource (windows only)
$ usql adodb://Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0/myfile.mdb
$ usql "adodb://Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0/?Extended+Properties=\"Text;HDR=NO;FMT=Delimited\""

# connect to a named connection in $HOME/.config/usql/config.yaml
$ cat $HOME/.config/usql/config.yaml
connections:
  my_named_connection: sqlserver://user:pass@localhost/
$ usql my_named_connection

# connect with ODBC driver (requires building with odbc tag)
$ cat /etc/odbcinst.ini
[DB2]
Description=DB2 driver
Driver=/opt/db2/clidriver/lib/libdb2.so
FileUsage = 1
DontDLClose = 1

[PostgreSQL ANSI]
Description=PostgreSQL ODBC driver (ANSI version)
Driver=psqlodbca.so
Setup=libodbcpsqlS.so
Debug=0
CommLog=1
UsageCount=1

# connect to db2, postgres databases using odbc config above
$ usql odbc+DB2://user:pass@localhost/dbname
$ usql odbc+PostgreSQL+ANSI://user:pass@localhost/dbname?TraceFile=/path/to/trace.log
See the section on connection variables for information on
defining connection names.
Executing Queries and Commands
The interactive interpreter reads queries and backslash meta (\) commands,
sending the query to the connected database:
$ usql sqlite://example.sqlite3
Connected with driver sqlite3 (SQLite3 3.17.0)
Type "help" for help.

sq:example.sqlite3=> create table test (test_id int, name string);
CREATE TABLE
sq:example.sqlite3=> insert into test (test_id, name) values (1, 'hello');
INSERT 1
sq:example.sqlite3=> select * from test;
  test_id | name
+---------+-------+
        1 | hello
(1 rows)

sq:example.sqlite3=> select * from test
sq:example.sqlite3-> \p
select * from test
sq:example.sqlite3-> \g
  test_id | name
+---------+-------+
        1 | hello
(1 rows)

sq:example.sqlite3=> \c postgres://booktest@localhost
error: pq: 28P01: password authentication failed for user "booktest"
Enter password:
Connected with driver postgres (PostgreSQL 9.6.6)
pg:booktest@localhost=> select * from authors;
  author_id |      name
+-----------+----------------+
          1 | Unknown Master
          2 | blah
          3 | foobar
(3 rows)

pg:booktest@localhost=>
Commands may accept one or more parameter, and can be quoted using either '
or ". Command parameters may also be backticked.
Backslash Commands
usql supports interleaved backslash (\) meta commands to modify or alter
the way that usql interprets queries, formats its output, and changes the
resulting interactive flow.
(not connected)=> \c postgres://user:pass@localhost
pg:user@localhost=> select * from my_table \G
Available backslash meta commands can be displayed with \?:
$ usql
Type "help" for help.

(not connected)=> \?
General
  \q                                   quit usql
  \copyright                           show usql usage and distribution terms
  \drivers                             display information about available database drivers

Query Execute
  \g [(OPTIONS)] [FILE] or ;           execute query (and send results to file or |pipe)
  \crosstabview [(OPTIONS)] [COLUMNS]  execute query and display results in crosstab
  \G [(OPTIONS)] [FILE]                as \g, but forces vertical output mode
  \gexec                               execute query and execute each value of the result
  \gset [PREFIX]                       execute query and store results in usql variables
  \gx [(OPTIONS)] [FILE]               as \g, but forces expanded output mode
  \watch [(OPTIONS)] [DURATION]        execute query every specified interval
  \bind [PARAM]...                     set query parameters

Query Buffer
  \e [FILE] [LINE]                     edit the query buffer (or file) with external editor
  \p                                   show the contents of the query buffer
  \raw                                 show the raw (non-interpolated) contents of the query buffer
  \r                                   reset (clear) the query buffer
  \w FILE                              write query buffer to file

Help
  \? [commands]                        show help on backslash commands
  \? options                           show help on usql command-line options
  \? variables                         show help on special variables

Input/Output
  \copy SRC DST QUERY TABLE            copy query from source url to table on destination url
  \copy SRC DST QUERY TABLE(A,...)     copy query from source url to columns of table on destination url
  \echo [-n] [STRING]                  write string to standard output (-n for no newline)
  \qecho [-n] [STRING]                 write string to \o output stream (-n for no newline)
  \warn [-n] [STRING]                  write string to standard error (-n for no newline)
  \o [FILE]                            send all query results to file or |pipe
  \i FILE                              execute commands from file
  \ir FILE                             as \i, but relative to location of current script

Informational
  \d[S+] [NAME]                        list tables, views, and sequences or describe table, view, sequence, or index
  \da[S+] [PATTERN]                    list aggregates
  \df[S+] [PATTERN]                    list functions
  \di[S+] [PATTERN]                    list indexes
  \dm[S+] [PATTERN]                    list materialized views
  \dn[S+] [PATTERN]                    list schemas
  \dp[S] [PATTERN]                     list table, view, and sequence access privileges
  \ds[S+] [PATTERN]                    list sequences
  \dt[S+] [PATTERN]                    list tables
  \dv[S+] [PATTERN]                    list views
  \l[+]                                list databases
  \ss[+] [TABLE|QUERY] [k]             show stats for a table or a query

Formatting
  \pset [NAME [VALUE]]                 set table output option
  \a                                   toggle between unaligned and aligned output mode
  \C [STRING]                          set table title, or unset if none
  \f [STRING]                          show or set field separator for unaligned query output
  \H                                   toggle HTML output mode
  \T [STRING]                          set HTML <table> tag attributes, or unset if none
  \t [on|off]                          show only rows
  \x [on|off|auto]                     toggle expanded output

Transaction
  \begin                               begin a transaction
  \begin [-read-only] [ISOLATION]      begin a transaction with isolation level
  \commit                              commit current transaction
  \rollback                            rollback (abort) current transaction

Connection
  \c DSN                               connect to database url
  \c DRIVER PARAMS...                  connect to database with driver and parameters
  \cset [NAME [DSN]]                   set named connection, or list all if no parameters
  \cset NAME DRIVER PARAMS...          define named connection for database driver
  \Z                                   close database connection
  \password [USERNAME]                 change the password for a user
  \conninfo                            display information about the current database connection

Operating System
  \cd [DIR]                            change the current working directory
  \getenv VARNAME ENVVAR               fetch environment variable
  \setenv NAME [VALUE]                 set or unset environment variable
  \! [COMMAND]                         execute command in shell or start interactive shell
  \timing [on|off]                     toggle timing of commands

Variables
  \prompt [-TYPE] VAR [PROMPT]       prompt user to set variable
  \set [NAME [VALUE]]                  set internal variable, or list all if no parameters
  \unset NAME                          unset (delete) internal variable
Parameters passed to commands can be backticked.
Features and Compatibility
An overview of usql's features, functionality, and compatibility with psql:

Configuration
Variables
Backticks
Copying Between Databases
Syntax Highlighting
Time Formatting
Context Completion
Host Connection Information
Passwords
Runtime Configuration (RC) File

The usql project's goal is to support as much of psql's core features and
functionality, and aims to be as compatible as possible - contributions are
always appreciated!
Configuration
During its initialization phase, usql reads a standard YAML configuration
file config.yaml. On Windows this is %AppData%/usql/config.yaml,
on macOS this is $HOME/Library/Application Support/usql/config.yaml, and on
Linux and other Unix systems this is normally $HOME/.config/usql/config.yaml.
connections:
Named connection DSNs can be defined under connections: as a string
or as a map:
connections:
  my_couchbase_conn: couchbase://Administrator:P4ssw0rd@localhost
  my_clickhouse_conn: clickhouse://clickhouse:P4ssw0rd@localhost
  my_godror_conn:
    protocol: godror
    username: system
    password: P4ssw0rd
    hostname: localhost
    port: 1521
    database: free
Defined connections: can be used on the command-line with \connect, \c,
\copy, and other commands:
$ usql my_godror_conn
Connected with driver godror (Oracle Database 23.0.0.0.0)
Type "help" for help.

gr:system@localhost/free=>
init:
An initialization script can be defined as init: as a string:
init: |
  \echo welcome to the jungle `date`
  \set SYNTAX_HL_STYLE paraiso-dark
  \set PROMPT1 '\033[32m%S%M%/%R%#\033[0m '
The init: script is commonly used to set environment variables
or other configuration, and can be disabled on the command-line using the
--no-init / -X flag. The script will be executed prior to any -c /
--command / -f / --file flag and before starting the interactive
interpreter.
Other Options
Please see contrib/config.yaml for an overview of
available configuration options.
Variables
usql supports runtime, connection, and
display formatting variables that can be \set, \cset, or
\pset respectively.
Runtime Variables
Runtime variables are managed with the \set and \unset commands:
(not connected)=> \unset FOO
(not connected)=> \set FOO bar
Runtime variables can be displayed with \set:
(not connected)=> \set
FOO = 'bar'
Variable Interpolation
When a runtime variable NAME has been \set, then :NAME, :'NAME', and
:"NAME" will be interpolated into the query buffer:
pg:booktest@localhost=> \set FOO bar
pg:booktest@localhost=> select * from authors where name = :'FOO';
  author_id | name
+-----------+------+
          7 | bar
(1 rows)
Where a runtime variable is used as :'NAME' or :"NAME" the interpolated
value will be quoted using ' or " respectively:
pg:booktest@localhost=> \set TBLNAME authors
pg:booktest@localhost=> \set COLNAME name
pg:booktest@localhost=> \set FOO bar
pg:booktest@localhost=> select * from :TBLNAME where :"COLNAME" = :'FOO'
The query buffer and interpolated values can be displayed with \p and
\print, or the raw query buffer can be displayed with \raw:
pg:booktest@localhost-> \p
select * from authors where "name" = 'bar'
pg:booktest@localhost-> \raw
select * from :TBLNAME where :"COLNAME" = :'FOO'


Note
Variables contained within other strings will not be interpolated:

pg:booktest@localhost=> select ':FOO';
  ?column?
+----------+
  :FOO
(1 rows)

pg:booktest@localhost=> \p
select ':FOO';

Connection Variables
Connection variables work similarly to runtime variables, and are managed with
\cset. Connection variables can be used with the \c, \connect, \copy,
or other commands:
(not connected)=> \cset my_conn postgres://user:pass@localhost
(not connected)=> \c my_conn
Connected with driver postgres (PostgreSQL 16.2 (Debian 16.2-1.pgdg120+2))
pg:postgres@localhost=>
Connection variables are not interpolated into queries. See the configuration
section for information on defining persistent connection variables.
Connection variables can be displayed with \cset:
(not connected)=> \cset
my_conn = 'postgres://user:pass@localhost'
Display Formatting (Print) Variables
Display formatting variables can be set using \pset and other
commands:
(not connected)=> \pset time Kitchen
Time display is "Kitchen" ("3:04PM").
(not connected)=> \a
Output format is unaligned.
Display formatting variables can be displayed with \pset:
(not connected)=> \pset
time                     Kitchen
Other Variables
Runtime behavior, such as enabling or disabling syntax
highlighting can be modified through special variables like
SYNTAX_HL.
Use the \? variables command to display variable help information
and to list special variables recognized by usql:
(not connected)=> \? variables
Backticks
Backslash (\) meta commands support backticks on parameters:
(not connected)=> \echo Welcome `echo $USER` -- 'currently:' "(" `date` ")"
Welcome ken -- currently: ( Wed Jun 13 12:10:27 WIB 2018 )
(not connected)=>
Backticked parameters will be passed to the user's SHELL, exactly as written,
and can be combined with \set:
pg:booktest@localhost=> \set MYVAR `date`
pg:booktest@localhost=> \set
MYVAR = 'Wed Jun 13 12:17:11 WIB 2018'
pg:booktest@localhost=> \echo :MYVAR
Wed Jun 13 12:17:11 WIB 2018
pg:booktest@localhost=>
Copying Between Databases
usql provides a \copy command that reads data from a source database DSN
and writes to a destination database DSN:
(not connected)=> \cset PGDSN postgres://user:pass@localhost
(not connected)=> \cset MYDSN mysql://user:pass@localhost
(not connected)=> \copy PGDSN MYDSN 'select book_id, author_id from books' 'books(id, author_id)'
As demonstrated above, the \copy command does not require being connected to
a database, and will not modify or change the current open database connection
or state.
Any valid URL or DSN name maybe used for the source and destination database:
(not connected)=> \cset MYDSN mysql://user:pass@localhost
(not connected)=> \copy postgres://user:pass@localhost MYDSN 'select book_id, author_id from books' 'books(id, author_id)'


Note
usql's \copy is distinct from and does not function like
psql's \copy.


Copy Parameters
The \copy command has two parameter forms:
\copy SRC DST QUERY TABLE
\copy SRC DST QUERY TABLE(COL1, COL2, ..., COLN)
Where:

SRC - is the source database URL to connect to, and where the
QUERY will be executed
DST - is the destination database URL to connect to, and where
the destination TABLE resides
QUERY - is the query to execute on the SRC connection, the results of which
will be copied to TABLE
TABLE - is the destination table name, followed by an optional SQL-like column
list of the form (COL1, COL2, ..., COLN)
(COL1, COL2, ..., COLN) - a list of the destination column names, 1-to-N

The usual rules for variables, interpolation, and quoting apply to
\copy's parameters.
Quoting
QUERY and TABLE must be quoted when containing spaces:
$ usql
(not connected)=> echo :SOURCE_DSN :DESTINATION_DSN
pg://postgres:P4ssw0rd@localhost/ mysql://localhost
(not connected)=> \copy :SOURCE_DSN :DESTINATION_DSN 'select * from mySourceTable' 'myDestination(colA, colB)'
COPY 2
Column Counts
The QUERY must return the same number of columns as defined by
the TABLE expression:
$ usql
(not connected)=> \copy csvq:. sq:test.db 'select * from authors' authors
error: failed to prepare insert query: 2 values for 1 columns
(not connected)=> \copy csvq:. sq:test.db 'select name from authors' authors(name)
COPY 2
Datatype Compatibility and Casting
The \copy command does not attempt to perform any kind of datatype
conversion.
If a QUERY returns columns with different datatypes than expected by the
TABLE's column, the QUERY can use the source database's conversion/casting
functionality to cast columns to a datatype that will work for TABLE's
columns:
$ usql
(not connected)=> \copy postgres://user:pass@localhost mysql://user:pass@localhost 'SELECT uuid_column::TEXT FROM myPgTable' myMyTable
COPY 1
Importing Data from CSV
The \copy command is capable of importing data from CSV's (or any other
database!) using the csvq driver:
$ cat authors.csv
author_id,name
1,Isaac Asimov
2,Stephen King
$ cat books.csv
book_id,author_id,title
1,1,I Robot
2,2,Carrie
3,2,Cujo
$ usql
(not connected)=> -- setting variables to make connections easier
(not connected)=> \set SOURCE_DSN csvq://.
(not connected)=> \set DESTINATION_DSN sqlite3:booktest.db
(not connected)=> -- connecting to the destination and creating the schema
(not connected)=> \c :DESTINATION_DSN
Connected with driver sqlite3 (SQLite3 3.38.5)
(sq:booktest.db)=> create table authors (author_id integer, name text);
CREATE TABLE
(sq:booktest.db)=> create table books (book_id integer not null primary key autoincrement, author_id integer, title text);
CREATE TABLE
(sq:booktest.db)=> -- adding an extra row to books prior to copying
(sq:booktest.db)=> insert into books (author_id, title) values (1, 'Foundation');
INSERT 1
(sq:booktest.db)=> -- disconnecting to demonstrate that \copy opens new database connections
(sq:booktest.db)=> \disconnect
(not connected)=> -- copying data from SOURCE -> DESTINATION
(not connected)=> \copy :SOURCE_DSN :DESTINATION_DSN 'select * from authors' authors
COPY 2
(not connected)=> \copy :SOURCE_DSN :DESTINATION_DSN 'select author_id, title from books' 'books(author_id, title)'
COPY 3
(not connected)=> \c :DESTINATION_DSN
Connected with driver sqlite3 (SQLite3 3.38.5)
(sq:booktest.db)=> select * from authors;
 author_id |     name
-----------+--------------
         1 | Isaac Asimov
         2 | Stephen King
(2 rows)

sq:booktest.db=> select * from books;
 book_id | author_id |   title
---------+-----------+------------
       1 |         1 | Foundation
       2 |         1 | I Robot
       3 |         2 | Carrie
       4 |         2 | Cujo
(4 rows)


Note
When importing large datasets (> 1GiB) from one database to another, it is
better to use a database's native clients and tools.


Reusing Connections with Copy
The \copy command (and all usql commands) works with variables.
When scripting, or when needing to perform multiple \copy operations from/to
multiple sources/destinations, the best practice is to \set connection
variables either in a script or in the $HOME/.usqlrc RC script.
Similarly, passwords can be stored for easy reuse (and kept out of scripts) by
storing in the $HOME/.usqlpass password file.
For example:
$ cat $HOME/.usqlpass
postgres:*:*:*:postgres:P4ssw0rd
godror:*:*:*:system:P4ssw0rd
$ usql
Type "help" for help.

(not connected)=> \set pglocal postgres://postgres@localhost:49153?sslmode=disable
(not connected)=> \set orlocal godror://system@localhost:1521/orasid
(not connected)=> \copy :pglocal :orlocal 'select staff_id, first_name from staff' 'staff(staff_id, first_name)'
COPY 18
Syntax Highlighting
Interactive queries will be syntax highlighted by default, using
Chroma. There are a number of variables that control syntax
highlighting:



Variable
Default
Values
Description




SYNTAX_HL
true
true or false
enables syntax highlighting


SYNTAX_HL_FORMAT
dependent on terminal support
formatter name
Chroma formatter name


SYNTAX_HL_OVERRIDE_BG
true
true or false
enables overriding the background color of the chroma styles


SYNTAX_HL_STYLE
monokai
style name
Chroma style name



The SYNTAX_* variables are regular usql variables, and can be \set and
\unset:
$ usql
(not connected)=> \set SYNTAX_HL_STYLE dracula
(not connected)=> \unset SYNTAX_HL_OVERRIDE_BG
Context Completion
When using the interactive shell, context completion is available in usql by
hitting the <Tab> key. For example, hitting <Tab> can complete some parts
of SELECT queries on a PostgreSQL databases:
$ usql
Connected with driver postgres (PostgreSQL 14.4 (Debian 14.4-1.pgdg110+1))
Type "help" for help.

pg:postgres@=> select * f<Tab>
fetch            from             full outer join
Or, for example completing backslash commands while connected to a
database:
$ usql my://
Connected with driver mysql (10.8.3-MariaDB-1:10.8.3+maria~jammy)
Type "help" for help.

my:root@=> \g<Tab>
\g     \gexec \gset  \gx
Not all commands, contexts, or databases support completion. If you're
interested in helping to make usql's completion better, see the section
below on contributing.
Command completion can be canceled with <Control-C>.
Time Formatting
Some databases support time/date columns that support formatting. By
default, usql formats time/date columns as RFC3339Nano, and can be
set using \pset time FORMAT:
$ usql pg://
Connected with driver postgres (PostgreSQL 13.2 (Debian 13.2-1.pgdg100+1))
Type "help" for help.

pg:postgres@=> \pset
time                     RFC3339Nano
pg:postgres@=> select now();
             now
-----------------------------
 2021-05-01T22:21:44.710385Z
(1 row)

pg:postgres@=> \pset time Kitchen
Time display is "Kitchen" ("3:04PM").
pg:postgres@=> select now();
   now
---------
 10:22PM
(1 row)

pg:postgres@=>
usql's time format supports any Go supported time format, or can
be any standard Go const name, such as Kitchen above. See below for an
overview of the available time constants.
Time Constants
The following are the time constant names available in usql, corresponding
time format value, and example display output:



Constant
Format
Display ↓




ANSIC
Mon Jan _2 15:04:05 2006
Wed Aug  3 20:12:48 2022


UnixDate
Mon Jan _2 15:04:05 MST 2006
Wed Aug  3 20:12:48 UTC 2022


RubyDate
Mon Jan 02 15:04:05 -0700 2006
Wed Aug 03 20:12:48 +0000 2022


RFC822
02 Jan 06 15:04 MST
03 Aug 22 20:12 UTC


RFC822Z
02 Jan 06 15:04 -0700
03 Aug 22 20:12 +0000


RFC850
Monday, 02-Jan-06 15:04:05 MST
Wednesday, 03-Aug-22 20:12:48 UTC


RFC1123
Mon, 02 Jan 2006 15:04:05 MST
Wed, 03 Aug 2022 20:12:48 UTC


RFC1123Z
Mon, 02 Jan 2006 15:04:05 -0700
Wed, 03 Aug 2022 20:12:48 +0000


RFC3339
2006-01-02T15:04:05Z07:00
2022-08-03T20:12:48Z


RFC3339Nano
2006-01-02T15:04:05.999999999Z07:00
2022-08-03T20:12:48.693257Z


Kitchen
3:04PM
8:12PM


Stamp
Jan _2 15:04:05
Aug  3 20:12:48


StampMilli
Jan _2 15:04:05.000
Aug  3 20:12:48.693


StampMicro
Jan _2 15:04:05.000000
Aug  3 20:12:48.693257


StampNano
Jan _2 15:04:05.000000000
Aug  3 20:12:48.693257000




  
    ↓ Generated using timestamp 2022-08-03T20:12:48.693257Z
  

Host Connection Information
By default, usql displays connection information when connecting to a
database. This might cause problems with some databases or connections. This
can be disabled by setting the system environment variable USQL_SHOW_HOST_INFORMATION
to false:
$ export USQL_SHOW_HOST_INFORMATION=false
$ usql pg://booktest@localhost
Type "help" for help.

pg:booktest@=>
SHOW_HOST_INFORMATION is a standard usql variable,
and can be \set or \unset. Additionally, it can be passed via the
command-line using -v or --set:
$ usql --set SHOW_HOST_INFORMATION=false pg://
Type "help" for help.

pg:booktest@=> \set SHOW_HOST_INFORMATION true
pg:booktest@=> \connect pg://
Connected with driver postgres (PostgreSQL 9.6.9)
pg:booktest@=>
Terminal Graphics
usql supports terminal graphics for Kitty, iTerm,
and Sixel enabled terminals using the github.com/kenshaw/rasterm package.
Terminal graphics are only available when using the interactive shell.
Detection and Support
usql will attempt to detect when terminal graphics support is available using
the USQL_TERM_GRAPHICS, TERM_GRAPHICS and other environment variables
unique to various terminals.
When support is available, the logo will be displayed at the start of an
interactive session:


Charts and Graphs
The \chart command can be used to display a chart
directly in the terminal:


See the section on the \chart meta command for details.
Enabling/Disabling Terminal Graphics
Terminal graphics can be forced enabled or disabled by setting the
USQL_TERM_GRAPHICS or the TERM_GRAPHICS environment variable:
# disable
$ USQL_TERM_GRAPHICS=none usql

# force iterm graphics
$ TERM_GRAPHICS=iterm usql



Variable
Default
Values
Description




TERM_GRAPHICS
``
``, kitty, `iterm`, `sixel`, `none`
enables/disables term graphics



Terminals with Graphics Support
The following terminals have been tested with usql:


WezTerm is a cross-platform terminal for Windows, macOS, Linux, and
many other platforms that supports iTerm graphics


iTerm2 is a macOS terminal that supports iTerm
graphics


kitty is a terminal for Linux, macOS, and various BSDs that supports
Kitty graphics


foot is a Wayland terminal for Linux (and other Wayland hosts) that
supports Sixel graphics


Additional terminals that support Sixel graphics are
catalogued on the Are We Sixel Yet? website.
Passwords
usql supports reading passwords for databases from a .usqlpass file
contained in the user's HOME directory at startup:
$ cat $HOME/.usqlpass
# format is:
# protocol:host:port:dbname:user:pass
postgres:*:*:*:booktest:booktest
$ usql pg://
Connected with driver postgres (PostgreSQL 9.6.9)
Type "help" for help.

pg:booktest@=>
While the .usqlpass functionality will not be removed, it is recommended to
define named connections preferrably via the config.yaml
file.


Note
The .usqlpass file cannot be readable by other users, and the permissions
should be set accordingly:



Runtime Configuration (RC) File
usql supports executing a .usqlrc runtime configuration (RC) file contained
in the user's HOME directory:
$ cat $HOME/.usqlrc
\echo WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE `date`
\set SYNTAX_HL_STYLE paraiso-dark
# display color prompt (default is prompt is "%S%m%/%R%#" )
\set PROMPT1 "\033[32m%S%m%/%R%#\033[0m"
$ usql
WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE Thu Jun 14 02:36:53 WIB 2018
Type "help" for help.

(not connected)=> \set
SYNTAX_HL_STYLE = 'paraiso-dark'
(not connected)=>
The .usqlrc file is read at startup in the same way as a file passed on the
command-line with -f / --file. It is commonly used to set startup
environment variables and settings.
RC-file execution can be temporarily disabled at startup by passing -X or
--no-init on the command-line:

While the .usqlrc functionality will not be removed, it is recommended to set
an init script in the config.yaml file.
Additional Notes
The following are additional notes and miscellania related to usql:
Release Builds
Release builds are built with the most build tag and with
additional SQLite3 build tags (see: build.sh).
macOS
The recommended installation method on macOS is via brew due
to the way library dependencies for the sqlite3 driver are done on macOS. If
the following (or similar) error is encountered when attempting to run usql:
$ usql
dyld: Library not loaded: /usr/local/opt/icu4c/lib/libicuuc.68.dylib
  Referenced from: /Users/user/.local/bin/usql
  Reason: image not found
Abort trap: 6
Then missing library dependency can be fixed by installing
icu4c using brew:
$ brew install icu4c
Running `brew update --auto-update`...
==> Downloading ...
...

$ usql
(not connected)=>
Contributing
usql is currently a WIP, and is aiming towards a 1.0 release soon.
Well-written PRs are always welcome -- and there is a clear backlog of issues
marked help wanted on the GitHub issue tracker! For technical details on
contributing, see CONTRIBUTING.md.
Pick up an issue today, and submit a PR tomorrow!
Related Projects

dburl - Go package providing a standard, URL-style mechanism for parsing
and opening database connection URLs
xo - Go command-line tool to generate Go code from a database schema

