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https://github.com/cespedes/sqlvi

View and edit SQL entries using a text editor
https://github.com/cespedes/sqlvi

database postgres postgresql sql

Last synced: 2 months ago
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View and edit SQL entries using a text editor

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sqlvi is used to view and modfy a SQL database from a text editor.



In order to do it, `sqlvi` performs a SQL query

and displays its result as a text file,

and launches an editor for the user.

After the editor finishes, it calculates if there are changes

and, if there are any,

it updates the database accordingly.



In this state, it only works with PostgreSQL databases.



## Details



When `sqlvi` executes, it does the following:

- Handle command-line arguments

- Read configuration file

- Connects to SQL database

- Executes SQL query

- Displays SQL result as a text-mode representation (text table, key-value fields...)

- Launches an editor for the user to see and modify the text table

- After the editor finishes, it finds the altered rows

- In a transaction, it inserts, updates, or deletes rows from the database



The SQL queries that `sqlvi` executes can be specified from command line or

in the configuration file.



The first field in the results must be unique and not null

(it is typically a primary key).

This field should not be modified from the editor.



When a row is modified, it executes an **update**.  

When a row is deleted, it executes a **delete**.  

When the user inserts a new row, with the first field empty, it executes an **insert**.



## Command-line arguments



The general usage of `sqlvi` is:



    sqlvi [options] [  ]



The ``, if given, specifies what set of options from the configuration file should

be applied.



The possible options are:



- `-debug`: enable debugging info.  Not very useful,

  unless you are debugging errors in the code.

- `-config `: configuration file to read.

  If not specified, it reads `.sqlvirc` from the user's

  home directory.

- `-output `: specify how to convert results to text, and vice versa.

  Possible values are

  `org` (Org-mode style text table, default),

  `ini` (Windows INI file)

  and

  `ldap` (paragraphs with "key: value" pairs).

- `-connect `: connection string to the database.

  Right now it can only be user with PostgreSQL databases.

- `-editor `: editor to use.  If not specified

  (and not found in the configuration file), it tries `$VISUAL`,

  `$EDITOR`, `editor`, `vim` and `vi`, in that order.

- `-select `: Database query to execute on startup and

  display its result.

- `-insert `: Database query to add a new row.

- `-update `: Database query to update a row.

- `-delete `: Database query to delete a row.



In the `insert`, `update` and `delete` entries there can be arguments

specified as `$1`, `$2`, `$3`... which will be replaced by those

columns in the modified row.  It is not needed to specify all the columns, or to

have them in the same order they appear.  They can also be repeated.



## Configuration file



`sqlvi` reads a YAML file (`$HOME/.sqlvirc` by default) similar to this:



    editor: vim

    connect: postgres://user:pass@host/database

    default: countries

    format: org

    modes:

      countries:

        connect: postgres://user:pass@host/database

        select: SELECT id,country,capital,language FROM countries

        insert: INSERT INTO countries (country,capital,language) VALUES ($2,$3,$4)

        update: UPDATE countries SET country=$2,capital=$3,language=$4 WHERE id=$1

        delete: DELETE FROM countries WHERE id=$1

      products:

        connect: postgres://user:pass@host/database

        select: SELECT id,name,price FROM products

        insert: INSERT INTO products (name,price) VALUES ($2,$3)

        update: UPDATE products SET name=$2,price=$3 WHERE id=$1

        delete: DELETE FROM product WHERE id=$1



The configuration file is optional;

everything can be specified from command line,

which takes precedence over everything in this file.

The command-line arguments take precedenve over everything in the configuration file.



## Text output



There are several ways to display the query result in text, depending on

the value of the `output` configuration parameter.



### Org-mode table



If the `output` configuration parameter is `org`,

the results are rendered as a text table with this layout:



    |----+---------+---------+----------|

    | id | country | capital | language |

    |----+---------+---------+----------|

    | 1  | Spain   | Madrid  | Spanish  |

    | 2  | Germany | Berlin  | German   |

    | 3  | France  | Paris   | French   |

    |----+---------+---------+----------|



It should have these lines, and in this order:

- 0 or more lines that do not contain `|---` (which will be ignored).

- A separator line, beginning with `|---`.

- A line with list of column names, beginning and ending with `|` and separated by `|`.

- A separator line, beginning with `|---`.

- A line for each row, beginning and ending with `|`, and with values separated by `|`.

  The first field should be unique and non-empty.

- A separator line, beginning with `|---`.

- 0 or more lines after that one (ignored).



### INI file



If the `output` configuration parameter is `ini`,

the results are rendered as a INI-like file with this layout:



    [1]

    country = Spain

    capital = Madrid

    language = Spanish



    [2]

    country = Germany

    capital = Berlin

    language = German



    [3]

    country = France

    capital = Paris

    language = French



The order of the entries and the order of the fields in an entry is irrelevant.



An entry can be deleted or modified.



A new entry can be created using `[]` as section.



### YAML-like file



If the `output` configuration parameter is `ldap` or `yaml`,

the results are rendered as a list of paragraphs with `key: value` lines,

similar to YAML or the LDIF format using in LDAP:



    id: 1

    country: Spain

    capital: Madrid

    language: Spanish



    id: 2

    country: Germany

    capital: Berlin

    language: German



    id: 3

    country: France

    capital: Paris

    language: French



The order of the entries is irrelevant.

The first field in an entry should be the primary key (`id` in the example),

but the order of the rest of the fields is irrelevant.



An entry can be deleted or modified.



A new entry can be created using an empty value for the first key.



## Actions



After the editor finishes, `sqlvi` parses the text; if there are any errors,

it displays them and asks the user what to do (edit the file again, or quit).



If there are no errors, it finds out what lines, if any, have been modified.



If there are no modified lines, it shows `No changes.` and exits.



Otherwise, it displays a summary of changes, with the number of added,

updated and deleted lines, and asks the user what to do (edit the file again,

commit changes, or quit).



If the query to the database fails, it shows the error and asks the user again

what to do: edit the file again, or quit.