A fast, driver-less TUI to browse, query, and edit PostgreSQL databases — no drivers, no setup, just psql.

Vim-first · Safe by design · Oil-and-vinegar UI · Fast and lightweight

sabiql wraps your existing psql CLI. No Rust database drivers, no connection pools, no extra dependencies. Point it at your database and get a full-featured TUI. Your psql config, .pgpass, SSL setup all just work.

Inspired by oil.nvim's "oil and vinegar" philosophy: UI elements appear only when needed, never occupying your screen permanently. Vim-native keybindings (j/k, dd, /) let you navigate and edit without leaving your muscle memory.

Destructive operations are guarded. Inline edits and row deletions always show a preview modal before touching your data. Read-only mode (Ctrl+R) goes further — block all writes at the PostgreSQL session level with a single keystroke.

Built in Rust for minimal memory footprint and near-zero idle CPU. A full-featured alternative to GUI tools like DBeaver or DataGrip, without ever leaving the terminal.

• Read-Only Mode (Ctrl+R) — Toggle safe-browse mode; writes are blocked at both app and DB session level
• SQL Modal (s) — Ad-hoc queries with auto-completion for tables, columns, and keywords; browse past results with Ctrl+H; recall previous queries with Ctrl+O
• ER Diagram (e) — Generate relationship diagrams via Graphviz, opened instantly in your browser
• Inspector Pane (2) — Column details, types, constraints, and indexes for any table

• Inline Cell Editing (e in Result) — Edit cells in-place with a guarded UPDATE preview before committing
• Row Deletion (dd in Result) — DELETE with mandatory preview; risk level color-coded (yellow/orange/red)
• Yank (y) — Copy any cell value to clipboard
• CSV Export (Ctrl+E) — Export query results to a CSV file

• EXPLAIN / EXPLAIN ANALYZE — Run your query, then switch tabs to instantly view its execution plan. Compare two plans side-by-side to pinpoint performance bottlenecks — no copy-paste, no external tools, all within the same modal.

• Fuzzy Search (/) — Incremental table filtering
• Focus Mode (f) — Expand any pane to full screen
• Command Palette (Ctrl+K) — Searchable command list

# macOS / Linux
brew install riii111/sabiql/sabiql

# Cargo (crates.io)
cargo install sabiql

# Arch Linux (AUR)
paru -S sabiql  # or yay -S sabiql

# Void Linux (Unofficial Repo)
echo repository=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Event-Horizon-VL/blackhole-vl/repository-x86_64 | sudo tee /etc/xbps.d/20-repository-extra.conf
sudo xbps-install -S sabiql

# FreeBSD (ports)
cd /usr/ports/databases/sabiql/ && make install clean

# Install script
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/riii111/sabiql/main/install.sh | sh

sabiql

On first run, enter your connection details — saved to ~/.config/sabiql/connections.toml. Press ? for help.

• psql CLI (PostgreSQL client)
• Graphviz (optional, for ER diagrams): brew install graphviz

• Connection management UI
• ER diagram generation
• Read-only mode (Ctrl+R)
• SQL modal with DML/DDL safety guardrails
• Query history persistence & fuzzy search
• CSV export & clipboard yank
• JSON/JSONB support (tree view, editing, validation)
• Neovim integration (sabiql.nvim)
• Zero-config connection (env vars, .pgpass, URI auto-detect)
• EXPLAIN workflow (plan tree view & comparison)
• Google Cloud SQL / AlloyDB support
• Theme switching (foreground palette only)
• MySQL support

Have a feature request? Open an issue feedback is welcome!

MIT — see LICENSE.