DB Explorer

A multi-database SQL client for VS Code, inspired by Toad. Browse schemas, write SQL with context-aware completion, run statements and scripts, edit and export results — on Oracle, PostgreSQL, MySQL / MariaDB and SQLite.

🇫🇷 Version française · 📜 Changelog

The interface is in English and switches to French automatically when VS Code is set to French.

⚠️ Oracle-specific features (compilation, package members, ALL_ARGUMENTS, synonyms…) are written against the Oracle data dictionary but were not run against a real Oracle server by the author. PostgreSQL, MySQL and SQLite are covered by integration tests (see Development). Bug reports are welcome.

Getting started

1. Click DB Explorer in the activity bar. Use + (or the Connection tab) to create a connection: pick the database type, fill the fields (for Oracle choose a TNS alias — tnsnames.ora is detected automatically), then Save and connect.
2. Open a .sql file (or press Ctrl+Alt+N for a new editor) and run the statement under the cursor with Ctrl+Alt+Enter.
3. Results appear in the bottom DB Explorer panel: grid, script messages, errors, DBMS Output and execution plan.

Press Ctrl+Alt+J in a SQL editor for the actions palette (the everyday actions first, the rest under More).

Features

Writing SQL

• Context-aware completion: tables after FROM / JOIN, columns after SELECT / WHERE, alias. columns (including sub-queries and CTEs), package. members, functions and query templates. Built for very large databases: persistent metadata cache, background scan on a dedicated connection, search-as-you-type straight from the database.
• Join suggestions from foreign keys, JOIN without ON quick fix.
• Packages, procedures and functions: names are completed, and inside a call pkg.proc( … ) the parameters are offered as binds :param (current argument first, overloads handled, named notation available).
• Oracle types in PL/SQL: in declarations, parameters, RETURN, TABLE OF, CAST(… AS, you get NUMBER, VARCHAR2(n), DATE…, types declared in the block, var%TYPE, cursor%ROWTYPE, TABLE%ROWTYPE, table.column%TYPE, and your own types.
• Ctrl+click on a table, view, package, procedure or function opens Describe Object.
• Code actions (Ctrl+Alt+A): expand *, add the missing ON, format, optimize, compare, "Did you mean …?" fixes.
• Query templates (built-in per database + your own), Go to object (Ctrl+Alt+G).

Running and errors

• Run a statement or a whole script, with parameters dialog for bind variables (IN / OUT / IN OUT, REF CURSOR), PL/SQL blocks, EXEC, SHOW ERRORS.
• Errors are impossible to miss: tinted line and greyed message at the end of the line, underline, Problems tab, plus a status banner under the result tabs. Short explanations (💡) for common ORA- / PLS- / PostgreSQL / MySQL / SQLite errors, and instant checks while typing (unbalanced parentheses, UPDATE / DELETE without WHERE).
• Script summary table (line, duration, rows, status), per-statement line numbers in the messages, click to jump to the line.
• Cancel really stops the statement (and resets the connection if the database does not obey); default timeout 10 min (dbexplorer.queryTimeoutSeconds).
• Transactions: auto-commit toggle, Commit / Rollback buttons (on the right connection), pending-changes banner and reminders, UPDATE / DELETE preview of the affected rows with confirmation, read-only mode per connection, DEV / TEST / PROD tag with extra protection for production.
• Compile packages / procedures / functions / triggers / views with errors positioned in the source; invalid-object filter and Recompile all.

Results

• Grid: sort and filter in the database, columns hide / pin / colour by type, paging with Show all, in-grid editing (applied as UPDATE by primary key), duplicate highlighting and a duplicate detector for queries, detail pane with formatted JSON / XML.
• Linked rows: Ctrl+click a key to follow the foreign key (parent / child rows) with a breadcrumb to come back.
• Keeps the last results, compare two results row by row.
• Export: Excel (.xlsx), CSV, TSV, JSON, HTML, Markdown, SQL INSERT, XML (streamed, any size), Oracle INSERT / MERGE with or without binds.

Exploring the schema

• Schema Browser with quick filter (text and object types), invalid objects, group by schema, PK / FK indicators.
• Describe Objects (Columns, Indexes, Constraints, Triggers, Data, Script, Grants, Synonyms, Stats / Size, Referential, Used By) with Load all rows.
• Graphs: query graph, call graph for packages / functions, ER diagram, lineage ("who uses this?").
• Schema compare with a synchronisation script, query comparison (text and result diff).
• Query optimizer advisor (rules per database, missing indexes, plan findings), colourful Explain Plan with full-scan detection.
• Oracle → ANSI JOIN converter ((+) and comma joins).
• History (searchable, reconnects to the original database) and Favorites.

Keyboard shortcuts

Choose a layout with the dbexplorer.keymap setting.

Always available in a SQL editor: Ctrl+Alt+J (actions palette) and Ctrl+Alt+G (go to object).

Settings (excerpt)

All settings are grouped by theme under Settings → Extensions → DB Explorer.

Security

• Passwords are stored in VS Code's SecretStorage, never in settings or files.
• A connection can be tagged PROD (or coloured red) and set to read-only. Scripts that modify a production database ask for confirmation first.
• Nothing is sent anywhere: the extension talks only to the databases you configure.

Installation

From a .vsix (downloaded from the Releases page): in VS Code, Extensions → … → Install from VSIX…, or

code --install-extension dbexplorer-<version>.vsix

From source: see below.

Development

Requirements: Node.js 18+ and VS Code 1.85+.

npm install
npm run compile          # then press F5 in VS Code to launch the extension
npm test                 # quick tests (script splitter, error hints, ANSI JOIN, completion helpers)
npm run package          # builds dbexplorer-<version>.vsix (npx vsce package)

Integration tests on real databases (SQLite always; PostgreSQL and MySQL when started):

docker compose -f test/docker-compose.yml up -d
npm run test:integration
docker compose -f test/docker-compose.yml down

They cover queries, paging, commit / rollback, errors, explain plan, query cancellation, routines and their parameters.

Project layout: src/extension.ts (commands), src/runner.ts (execution), src/completion.ts (completion), src/resultsPanel.ts (results webview), src/drivers/ (one file per database), src/views/ (sidebar views). UI strings: src/i18n.ts + src/i18nFr.ts (runtime) and package.nls*.json (manifest).

Contributing

Issues and pull requests are welcome. Please run npm test (and npm run test:integration if you touch a driver) before opening a PR, and add the English string and its French translation for any new message.

Known limits

• SQL Server is not supported. No PL/SQL debugger, no session browser.
• SQLite statements cannot be interrupted (the engine is synchronous).
• Oracle-specific paths need more testing on real servers (see the note at the top).

License

MIT