Executing Queries

Learn how to write, execute, and work with query results in QueryBox

Executing Queries

QueryBox provides a powerful query editor with syntax highlighting, autocomplete, and multi-tab result management.

Writing Queries

Opening the Query Editor

The query editor appears in the main workspace area. To open a new query tab:

1. Select a Connection

   Click a connection in the Connections panel to load its database tree.

2. Start a New Query

   The editor automatically opens when you select a connection. You can also:

   • Click a table/collection node to run a default SELECT query
   • Right-click a node and choose an action (e.g., “Show Tables”, “Describe Table”)

Editor Features

The QueryBox editor is powered by Monaco Editor (the same engine as VS Code) with database-specific enhancements:

• Syntax Highlighting - Keywords, strings, and identifiers are color-coded
• Autocomplete - Press Ctrl+Space (or start typing) to see suggestions:
  • SQL keywords (SELECT, FROM, WHERE, etc.)
  • Table names from your database schema
  • Column names (type tablename. to trigger)
  • Database and schema names
• Multi-line Editing - Write complex queries with proper indentation
• Word Wrap - Long queries wrap automatically for readability

Autocomplete suggestions load after QueryBox fetches your connection’s schema tree. If suggestions don’t appear immediately, wait a moment for the tree to populate.

Running Queries

Execute with Keyboard Shortcut

Press Cmd+Enter (macOS) or Ctrl+Enter (Windows/Linux) to execute the current query.

Execute from Tree Actions

Click a database object in the tree to run its default action:

• Tables/Views - Automatically runs SELECT * FROM table LIMIT 100
• Collections (MongoDB-style) - Fetches documents
• Keys (Redis) - Retrieves key values

Action Buttons

Nodes in the connection tree may display action buttons on hover:

• Select - Query all rows/documents
• Describe - Show table structure
• Drop - Delete the object (with confirmation)

Click an action button to execute it immediately.

Query Results

Result Tabs

Each query opens a result tab in the workspace. Tabs display:

• Title - Table name or query description
• Status Indicator - Loading spinner or error badge
• Timestamp - When the query was executed

Multiple tabs can be open simultaneously for comparison.

Result Formats

QueryBox adapts the result viewer based on your database type:

SQL (Relational)

Results appear in a data grid with:

• Column Headers - Sortable and resizable
• Row Numbers - For easy reference
• Pagination Controls - If your query returns many rows

The grid displays the first 100 rows by default (queries without a LIMIT clause automatically append LIMIT 100).

Document Store

Results display as formatted JSON documents:

• Expandable Objects - Click to drill into nested structures
• Array Indices - Numbered list items
• Syntax Highlighting - Color-coded keys and values

Key-Value

Results show as key-value pairs:

• Key - Left column
• Value - Right column (may be JSON, string, or binary)

Raw text output (e.g., from INFO commands) displays in the value column.

Handling Errors

If a query fails, the result tab displays:

• Error Icon - Red badge on the tab
• Error Message - Full error text from the database
• Query Context - The query that caused the error

Common errors include syntax mistakes, permission issues, or non-existent tables.

Advanced Query Features

EXPLAIN Queries

For databases that support query planning (PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite):

1. Execute a Query

   Run any SELECT query to see results.

2. Click the Explain Button

   If the database plugin advertises explain-query capability, an Explain button appears in the result toolbar.

3. View Query Plan

   QueryBox re-executes your query with EXPLAIN prepended and opens a new tab showing the execution plan.

   This helps diagnose slow queries and optimize indexes.

The Explain button only appears for plugins that support it. Check the plugin documentation for availability.

Refreshing Results

Click the Refresh icon in a result tab toolbar to re-run the same query with current data. This is useful for:

• Monitoring changes in real-time
• Verifying that an UPDATE or DELETE took effect
• Re-fetching after another tool modified the database

Context-Aware Queries

When you run a query from a tree node, QueryBox automatically sets the database context:

• Clicking production.users table sets database: "production"
• Your query runs against the correct database without needing USE statements

Multi-Tab Workflow

Opening Multiple Queries

• Each tree action or manual query opens a new tab
• Tabs persist until you close them
• Switch between tabs by clicking their titles

Comparing Results

Open multiple queries side-by-side:

1. Run a query in one tab
2. Click another table or write a new query
3. Compare results across tabs

This is helpful for checking data consistency or testing query variations.

Closing Tabs

Hover over a tab and click the × icon to close it. There’s no “unsaved changes” warning since tabs are ephemeral.

Query Types by Database

PostgreSQL / MySQL

• SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE
• CREATE TABLE, ALTER TABLE, DROP TABLE
• CREATE INDEX, DROP INDEX
• BEGIN, COMMIT, ROLLBACK (transactions)
• EXPLAIN (query planning)

SQLite

• All standard SQL commands
• PRAGMA statements for database configuration
• ATTACH DATABASE for multi-file queries

Redis

• GET, SET, DEL
• HGETALL, LRANGE, SMEMBERS
• INFO, CONFIG GET
• All Redis commands supported by the plugin

ArangoDB

• AQL queries (ArangoDB Query Language)
• Document CRUD operations
• Graph traversals

Tips

• Keyboard Shortcut: Memorize Cmd/Ctrl+Enter for fast query execution
• Limit Rows: Always include a LIMIT clause on production databases to avoid overwhelming results
• Autocomplete: Type database.table. to see column suggestions
• Error Logs: Check the Logs panel (bottom toolbar) for detailed error messages
• Plugin Capabilities: Some features (like Explain) depend on plugin support; see the Plugins window for details