SQL Terminal
What It Is
The SQL terminal is an interactive REPL built into noorm. Run queries against your database without leaving the tool or switching to another client.
Debugging a change? Check if that INSERT worked. Exploring a table structure? Run a quick SELECT. The terminal keeps you in flow while you work.
Launching the Terminal
From the home screen, press d for database, then t for terminal:
Home → [d] Database → [t] TerminalThe terminal connects to your active configuration automatically.
The Interface
┌─ SQL Terminal ──────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ noorm> SELECT * FROM users LIMIT 3; │
│ │
│ ┌────┬─────────┬─────────────────┬─────────────────────┐ │
│ │ id │ name │ email │ created_at │ │
│ ├────┼─────────┼─────────────────┼─────────────────────┤ │
│ │ 1 │ Alice │ alice@email.com │ 2024-01-15 09:30:00 │ │
│ │ 2 │ Bob │ bob@email.com │ 2024-01-16 14:22:00 │ │
│ │ 3 │ Charlie │ charlie@co.com │ 2024-01-17 11:45:00 │ │
│ └────┴─────────┴─────────────────┴─────────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ 3 rows (12ms) │
│ │
│ noorm> _ │
│ │
│ [h] history [c] clear │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘Type your SQL at the noorm> prompt and press Enter to execute.
Running Queries
The terminal supports any SQL your database understands:
SELECT queries return formatted tables with timing:
noorm> SELECT id, email FROM users WHERE active = true LIMIT 5;
┌────┬────────────────────┐
│ id │ email │
├────┼────────────────────┤
│ 1 │ alice@example.com │
│ 2 │ bob@example.com │
└────┴────────────────────┘
2 rows (8ms)INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE report affected rows:
noorm> UPDATE users SET last_login = NOW() WHERE id = 1;
1 row affected (5ms)DDL statements (CREATE, ALTER, DROP) work too:
noorm> CREATE INDEX users_email_idx ON users(email);
OK (42ms)Result Formatting
Results display in a formatted table with column alignment:
┌─────┬────────────────────┬────────┬───────────────────────┐
│ id │ email │ name │ created_at │
├─────┼────────────────────┼────────┼───────────────────────┤
│ 1 │ alice@example.com │ Alice │ 2024-01-15T10:30:00Z │
│ 2 │ bob@example.com │ Bob │ 2024-01-15T11:45:00Z │
└─────┴────────────────────┴────────┴───────────────────────┘
2 rows (15ms)Long values are truncated with ellipsis to fit the screen. Select a row to view full cell contents in the detail view.
Errors display inline with the original query:
noorm> SELECT * FROM nonexistent;
Error: relation "nonexistent" does not existQuery History
Every query you run is saved. Browse and re-execute past queries without retyping.
Browsing History
Press h to open the history viewer:
┌─ Query History ─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ 1. SELECT * FROM users LIMIT 10 12ms ✓ 1h ago │
│ 2. UPDATE users SET active = true... 5ms ✓ 2h ago │
│ 3. SELECT * FROM nonexistent - ✗ 2h ago │
│ 4. INSERT INTO logs (msg) VALUES... 8ms ✓ 3h ago │
│ │
│ [Enter] re-run [v] view results [/] search │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘✓indicates successful queries✗indicates failed queries- Select an entry and press Enter to re-run it
Searching History
Press / in the history view to search:
Search: users
┌─ Query History (filtered) ──────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ 1. SELECT * FROM users LIMIT 10 12ms ✓ 1h ago │
│ 2. UPDATE users SET active = true... 5ms ✓ 2h ago │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘Viewing Saved Results
Select a history entry and press v to view the full results from when the query ran. Results are stored compressed, so you can review query output even after the data has changed.
Tab Completion
Press Tab while typing to auto-complete:
- Table names - Type
SELthen Tab to see suggestions - Column names - After typing a table name, Tab shows its columns
noorm> SELECT * FROM us[Tab]
users
user_roles
user_sessionsTab completion pulls from your database schema, so it knows your actual tables and columns.
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
Enter | Execute query |
Up / Down | Navigate command history |
Tab | Auto-complete table/column names |
Ctrl+C | Clear current input |
Escape | Exit terminal |
h | Open history viewer |
c | Clear history |
Clearing History
Press c from the terminal to open the clear menu:
┌─ Clear History ─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ 1. Older than 1 month │
│ 2. Older than 3 months │
│ 3. Clear all history │
│ │
│ History: 47 entries, 2.3 MB stored │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘Select an option to remove old entries and free up space. Results files are deleted along with their history entries.
Tips
Always use LIMIT when exploring unfamiliar tables. A table with millions of rows will slow down your terminal.
Preview before modifying - Run a SELECT with your WHERE clause before executing UPDATE or DELETE:
noorm> SELECT id, email FROM users WHERE last_login < '2023-01-01';
-- Review the results
noorm> DELETE FROM users WHERE last_login < '2023-01-01';History is not encrypted - Query text and results are stored in plaintext (gzipped). Avoid running queries that contain sensitive data like passwords or API keys.
What's Next?
- Schema Explorer - Browse tables, views, and other database objects
- Configs - Switch between different databases
- Execution - Run SQL files with change detection