SQL Editor

The SQL Editor is VisuaLeaf's dedicated activity for writing, running, and iterating on SQL against your relational databases. It is built on CodeMirror 6, so you get fast syntax highlighting, dialect-aware autocomplete, multi-tab editing, and a rich result viewer that can switch between grid, tree, JSON, and explain-plan output on the same query.

Opening the Editor

Each connection has its own SQL Editor context so tabs, history, and result sets stay scoped to the database you are working on:

• From the sidebar, right-click any database and choose Open SQL Editor.
• From the activity bar, click the SQL icon; the editor opens on the last-used tab.
• From any table row, choose Query in SQL Editor to prefill a SELECT against that table.

Writing Queries

The editor understands the SQL dialect of the current connection and adjusts keywords, functions, and quoting rules accordingly.

Autocomplete

Trigger the completion menu with Ctrl + Space, or just keep typing:

• Table names after FROM, JOIN, UPDATE, INTO.
• Column names after a table alias and a dot (e.g. u. lists columns of the aliased table).
• Built-in functions such as COUNT, NOW(), COALESCE, JSON_EXTRACT.
• Snippets for common shapes: selectall, joinon, groupbycount, upsert.

Example

SELECT id, name, email
FROM users
WHERE active = true
ORDER BY created_at DESC
LIMIT 100;

Executing Queries

The editor exposes several execution modes so you can iterate on part of a script without re-running everything:

Action	Windows / Linux	macOS
Run entire buffer	F5	F5
Run current selection	F9	F9
Run up to cursor	Ctrl + F5	Cmd + F5

Result Viewer

Every executed query produces a result tab that can render in four modes:

Multiple Result Sets

When a stored procedure or a batch returns more than one result set, each appears as its own sub-tab under the result panel. Metadata rows (row count, elapsed) are shown per set.

Saving to Query Library

Press Ctrl/Cmd + S to save the current buffer. Saved queries include:

• A name, description, and tags for search.
• The dialect and originating connection, so parameters resolve correctly on reload.
• Optional bound parameters (e.g. :tenant_id) prompted at run time.

Access saved queries from the Saved Queries sidebar entry or by typing @ anywhere in the editor.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl/Cmd + T	New editor tab
Ctrl/Cmd + W	Close current tab
Ctrl/Cmd + S	Save query to library
Ctrl/Cmd + /	Toggle line comment
Ctrl/Cmd + Space	Trigger autocomplete
Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + F	Format SQL
F5	Run entire buffer
F9	Run current selection
Ctrl/Cmd + F5	Run up to the cursor

Pro Tips

1. Use aliases early: Alias tables in the FROM clause first — autocomplete uses the alias immediately for the rest of the query.
2. Highlight to explore: Wrap a fragment in a SELECT, highlight it, and hit F9 to preview intermediate results without touching the full query.
3. Bind sensitive values: Use :parameter placeholders instead of hardcoding IDs — VisuaLeaf will prompt at run time and never store the value in the saved query.

Related Features

• Visual SQL Query Builder - Build queries without typing, then paste them into the editor.
• SQL Profiling - Run EXPLAIN on the current buffer to inspect the plan.
• Saved Queries - Organize and share reusable queries.