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SQLAxe

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License: MITPython

In the world of software development, SQL files are often treated as plain text. We use standard text editors, grep for searching, and sed for basic transformations. This approach works adequately for simple scripts, but as SQL files grow in complexity and size—especially in database migrations, data warehousing, or large-scale application development—these text-based tools quickly reveal their limitations. The inherent structure and diverse dialects of SQL demand a more sophisticated approach.

SQLAxe is a command-line tool designed to address these challenges by bringing syntax awareness to SQL file manipulation. It understands the grammar and structure of over 20 database dialects, allowing you to process SQL not just as text, but as meaningful code. Whether you are managing massive SQL dumps, standardizing query formats, or performing complex refactoring, SQLAxe provides the precision and reliability that traditional text utilities cannot.

Key Capabilities

Installation

pip install sqlaxe

From GitHub

pip install git+https://github.com/djberube/sqlaxe

From Source

git clone https://github.com/djberube/sqlaxe.git
cd sqlaxe
pip install -e .

Usage

Split SQL Files

The sqlaxe split command allows you to decompose a monolithic SQL file into a series of smaller, individual files, with each file containing a single SQL statement. This is particularly valuable when dealing with large database dumps or complex migration scripts, where granular control and review are essential.

sqlaxe split database_dump.sql

Executing this command will create a new directory (e.g., database_dump_split/) containing numbered files (e.g., 0001.sql, 0002.sql), each representing a distinct SQL statement. This approach offers several practical advantages:

Pretty Print SQL

The sqlaxe pp (pretty-print) command reformats your SQL code to adhere to consistent style guidelines, improving its readability and maintainability. This is especially useful for standardizing SQL across a project or making externally sourced SQL more digestible.

sqlaxe pp messy_query.sql

This command outputs the consistently formatted SQL to standard output. You can redirect this output to a new file or pipe it to another command for further processing. The formatting includes consistent indentation, capitalization (where appropriate), and spacing, transforming potentially messy queries into clean, professional-looking code.

Search SQL Files

The sqlaxe grep command provides a syntax-aware search capability for your SQL files. Unlike conventional text-based grep utilities, which treat SQL as a flat string, sqlaxe grep parses the SQL code, allowing it to understand the context of keywords, table names, and other SQL constructs. This leads to significantly more accurate and relevant search results.

sqlaxe grep my_schema.sql "SELECT"

This command will search my_schema.sql for the pattern “SELECT”, but it will do so with an understanding of SQL syntax. For instance, it can differentiate between the SELECT keyword and a column named select_id, or ignore SELECT within comments, providing a more intelligent and less noisy search experience.

Table Name Replacement

The sqlaxe replace-table command enables you to safely and precisely rename table references within your SQL files. This is a critical operation during database refactoring or schema evolution, where a simple text-based find-and-replace could inadvertently modify non-table references (e.g., column names, string literals).

sqlaxe replace-table migration.sql users new_users

This command ensures that only actual table references to users are replaced with new_users, preserving the integrity of your SQL code and preventing unintended syntax errors or logical bugs.

Add Table Management Commands

SQLAxe can automatically generate TRUNCATE TABLE or DROP TABLE statements based on the tables identified within your SQL files. These commands are invaluable for database maintenance, testing, or development workflows where you need to quickly reset or clear specific tables.

# Generate TRUNCATE TABLE statements for all tables found in schema.sql
sqlaxe add-truncate schema.sql

# Generate DROP TABLE statements for all tables found in schema.sql
sqlaxe add-drop schema.sql

The output of these commands will be a series of TRUNCATE TABLE or DROP TABLE statements, respectively, for each table parsed from the input SQL file. This automates the creation of cleanup scripts, saving time and reducing the potential for errors compared to manual generation.

This creates a directory with one file per SQL statement, making it easier to:

Pretty Print SQL

Reformat SQL for readability:

sqlaxe pp sql_file.sql

Outputs nicely formatted SQL with consistent indentation and style.

Search SQL Files

Grep through SQL files with syntax awareness:

sqlaxe grep sql_file.sql PATTERN

Unlike traditional grep, SQLAxe understands SQL structure and can search more intelligently.

Table Name Replacement

Rename tables throughout your SQL:

sqlaxe replace-table sql_file.sql old_table_name new_table_name

Add Table Management Commands

Generate TRUNCATE or DROP TABLE statements:

sqlaxe add-truncate sql_file.sql
sqlaxe add-drop sql_file.sql

Multi-Dialect Support

A core strength of SQLAxe is its comprehensive support for over 20 database dialects, powered by the sqlglot library. This extensive compatibility ensures that SQLAxe can accurately parse, understand, and manipulate SQL from a wide array of environments, from traditional relational databases to modern data warehouses and analytical engines.

Supported dialects include, but are not limited to:

This broad support means you can apply SQLAxe’s syntax-aware capabilities consistently across diverse projects and heterogeneous database landscapes, reducing the need for specialized tools for each dialect.

Practical Use Cases

SQLAxe is designed to streamline common, yet often complex, SQL file management tasks. Here are several practical scenarios where its syntax-aware capabilities prove invaluable:

Database Migration Workflows

When performing database migrations, especially with large or critical production environments, the ability to manage SQL changes precisely is paramount.

sqlaxe split production_migration.sql

By splitting a large migration script into individual statements, you can:

Enhancing SQL Debugging

Debugging complex or poorly formatted SQL queries can be a time-consuming endeavor. SQLAxe helps by making problematic queries immediately more readable.

sqlaxe pp messy_query.sql > formatted_query.sql

This command takes a messy_query.sql file and outputs a formatted_query.sql that is consistently styled. This transformation significantly reduces the cognitive load, allowing developers to focus on the logic of the query rather than struggling with inconsistent formatting.

Streamlining Code Review for SQL

SQL code, particularly in large dumps or generated scripts, can be challenging to review effectively. SQLAxe improves this process by making the SQL human-readable and consistent.

sqlaxe pp dump.sql > readable_dump.sql

By pretty-printing SQL dumps before committing them to version control or submitting for review, you ensure that all team members are looking at a standardized format. This consistency helps reviewers quickly identify logical changes and potential issues, rather than being distracted by formatting inconsistencies.

Automated Schema Management

Maintaining database schemas often involves generating cleanup or setup scripts. SQLAxe can automate the creation of TRUNCATE or DROP TABLE statements, which are essential for testing, development, or disaster recovery scenarios.

# Generate DROP TABLE statements for all tables in a schema definition
sqlaxe add-drop schema.sql

This command processes schema.sql to identify all table definitions and then generates the corresponding DROP TABLE statements. This automation reduces manual effort and ensures accuracy when preparing scripts for resetting database states.

Standardizing Development Workflows

Consistency in SQL formatting across a development team is a common challenge. SQLAxe can be integrated into pre-commit hooks or build scripts to enforce a uniform style.

find . -name "*.sql" -exec sqlaxe pp {} \;

This example demonstrates how to pretty-print all .sql files within the current directory and its subdirectories. By automating this process, teams can ensure that all SQL code adheres to a predefined style, minimizing style-related conflicts and improving overall code quality.

SQL Debugging

Extract and format specific problematic queries:

sqlaxe pp messy_query.sql > formatted_query.sql

Code Review

Make SQL dumps readable for version control and review:

sqlaxe pp dump.sql > readable_dump.sql

Schema Management

Prepare database cleanup scripts:

sqlaxe add-drop schema.sql

Development

Standardize SQL formatting across your project:

find . -name "*.sql" -exec sqlaxe pp {} \;

Requirements

Core Philosophy

SQLAxe’s design is rooted in a fundamental understanding of the challenges inherent in managing SQL codebases. Our core philosophy is built upon principles that prioritize both technical precision and practical utility:

Development

Testing

python -m pytest

Dependencies

SQLAxe uses:

Contributing

We welcome contributions from the community to enhance SQLAxe. If you are interested in contributing, please review our detailed contributing guidelines to ensure a smooth process for submitting pull requests.

Here’s a general workflow for contributing:

  1. Fork the repository to your GitHub account.
  2. Create a new feature branch for your changes (git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name).
  3. Implement your changes, ensuring they align with the project’s coding style.
  4. Verify that all existing tests pass and add new tests for your changes (pytest).
  5. Commit your changes with a clear and concise message.
  6. Push your feature branch to your forked repository.
  7. Open a pull request against the main SQLAxe repository.

Commercial Support

Commercial support is available from Durable Programming, LLC. Contact us at [email protected] for:

License

MIT License - see LICENSE.md for details.

Support

For bugs, feature requests, or questions, please open an issue on GitHub.

GitHub

For the latest updates, source code, and community interactions, please visit the official SQLAxe GitHub repository.

View on GitHub