diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 5a8489c7..95e001cc 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,189 +1,188 @@
-ClickHouse C++ client [](https://github.com/ClickHouse/clickhouse-cpp/actions/workflows/linux.yml) [](https://github.com/ClickHouse/clickhouse-cpp/actions/workflows/macos.yml) [](https://github.com/ClickHouse/clickhouse-cpp/actions/workflows/windows_msvc.yml) [](https://github.com/ClickHouse/clickhouse-cpp/actions/workflows/windows_mingw.yml)
-=====
+ClickHouse C++ Client
-C++ client for [ClickHouse](https://clickhouse.com/).
+
+C++17 client library for ClickHouse using the native ClickHouse protocol.
+
-## Supported data types
+`clickhouse-cpp` provides a small, direct API for connecting to ClickHouse, executing SQL queries,
+inserting and selecting columnar `Block` data, and working with ClickHouse data types from C++. It
+builds on Linux, macOS, and Windows with CMake or Bazel. It supports TLS and compression.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
-* Array(T)
-* Bool \* (by default, mapped to UInt8 when receiving data)
-* Date
-* DateTime, DateTime64
-* DateTime([timezone]), DateTime64(N, [timezone])
-* Decimal32, Decimal64, Decimal128
-* Enum8, Enum16
-* FixedString(N)
-* Float32, Float64
-* IPv4, IPv6
-* Nullable(T)
-* String
-* LowCardinality(String) or LowCardinality(FixedString(N))
-* Tuple
-* UInt8, UInt16, UInt32, UInt64, Int8, Int16, Int32, Int64
-* UInt128, Int128
-* UUID
-* Map
-* Point, Ring, Polygon, MultiPolygon
-* JSON - experimental support; requires output_format_native_write_json_as_string=1; data is passed as strings
-
-\*: There exists a distinct `ColumnBool` and entry in the `Type` enumeration that
-can be used.
-By default, data received from the server will map Bool columns to UInt8. This is
-a backwards compatibility feature.
-If you want the library to produce ColumnBool, set the CMake variable `DCH_MAP_BOOL_TO_UINT8=OFF`.
-The default for this variable will switch, with it being subsequently removed, in
-a future release.
-
-## Dependencies
-In the most basic case one needs only:
-- a C++-17-complaint compiler,
-- `cmake` (3.12 or newer), and
-- `ninja`
-
-Optional dependencies:
-- openssl
-- liblz4
-- libabsl
-- libzstd
## Building
+Here is an example with recommended settings;
+
```sh
$ mkdir build .
$ cd build
-$ cmake .. [-DBUILD_TESTS=ON]
+$ cmake .. -DCH_USE_ABSEIL_FOR_BIGNUM=NO -DCH_MAP_BOOL_TO_UINT8=NO
$ make
```
+The command above disables two legacy CMake defaults, `CH_USE_ABSEIL_FOR_BIGNUM` and
+`CH_MAP_BOOL_TO_UINT8`. New projects should set both options to `OFF`. Existing projects can keep
+the defaults temporarily, but should migrate to this configuration as this behavior will be removed
+in the future versions of the library.
+
Please refer to the workflows for the reference on dependencies/build options
- https://github.com/ClickHouse/clickhouse-cpp/blob/master/.github/workflows/linux.yml
- https://github.com/ClickHouse/clickhouse-cpp/blob/master/.github/workflows/windows_msvc.yml
- https://github.com/ClickHouse/clickhouse-cpp/blob/master/.github/workflows/windows_mingw.yml
- https://github.com/ClickHouse/clickhouse-cpp/blob/master/.github/workflows/macos.yml
+- https://github.com/ClickHouse/clickhouse-cpp/blob/master/.github/workflows/bazel.yml
+
+## Backwards compatibility
+We aim to keep the public API compatible across releases within the same major version, so regular
+source-level upgrades should not require application code changes unless explicitly documented.
-## Example application build with clickhouse-cpp
+ABI compatibility is not guaranteed yet, because the library is still actively evolving. If you
+upgrade clickhouse-cpp, rebuild your application against the new library version, including for
+minor version updates.
-There are various ways to integrate clickhouse-cpp with the build system of an application. Below example uses the simple approach based on
-submodules presented in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ED-WUk440qc .
+## Including clickhouse-cpp in your project
-- `mkdir clickhouse-app && cd clickhouse-app && git init`
-- `git submodule add https://github.com/ClickHouse/clickhouse-cpp.git contribs/clickhouse-cpp`
-- `touch app.cpp`, then copy the following C++ code into that file
+Here a simple example (`app.cpp`) of an application using `clickhouse-cpp`
```cpp
-#include
#include
+#include
-using namespace clickhouse;
+namespace ch = clickhouse;
int main()
{
- /// Initialize client connection.
- Client client(ClientOptions().SetHost("localhost"));
+ ch::Client client{ch::ClientOptions{}.SetHost("localhost")};
+
+ client.BeginSelect("SELECT 'Hello from ClickHouse :)");
+
+ while (auto block = client.NextBlock()) {
+ auto col_msg = block->At(0)->AsStrict();
+
+ for (size_t i = 0; i < block->GetRowCount(); ++i) {
+ std::cout << col_msg->At(i) << "\n";
+ }
+ }
+}
+```
- /// Create a table.
- client.Execute("CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS default.numbers (id UInt64, name String) ENGINE = Memory");
+You can include `clickhouse-cpp` into your project by using one of the following methods.
- /// Insert some values.
- {
- Block block;
+### CMake with a git submodule
- auto id = std::make_shared();
- id->Append(1);
- id->Append(7);
+Add clickhouse-cpp as a submodule, for example under `contrib/clickhouse-cpp`:
- auto name = std::make_shared();
- name->Append("one");
- name->Append("seven");
+```sh
+git submodule add https://github.com/ClickHouse/clickhouse-cpp.git contrib/clickhouse-cpp
+```
- block.AppendColumn("id" , id);
- block.AppendColumn("name", name);
+Then include it from your `CMakeLists.txt`:
- client.Insert("default.numbers", block);
- }
+```cmake
+cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.13)
+project(application-example LANGUAGES CXX)
- /// Select values inserted in the previous step.
- client.Select("SELECT id, name FROM default.numbers", [] (const Block& block)
- {
- for (size_t i = 0; i < block.GetRowCount(); ++i) {
- std::cout << block[0]->As()->At(i) << " "
- << block[1]->As()->At(i) << "\n";
- }
- }
- );
-
- /// Select values inserted in the previous step using external data feature
- /// See https://clickhouse.com/docs/engines/table-engines/special/external-data
- {
- Block block1, block2;
- auto id = std::make_shared();
- id->Append(1);
- block1.AppendColumn("id" , id);
-
- auto name = std::make_shared();
- name->Append("seven");
- block2.AppendColumn("name", name);
-
- const std::string _1 = "_1";
- const std::string _2 = "_2";
-
- const ExternalTables external = {{_1, block1}, {_2, block2}};
- client.SelectWithExternalData("SELECT id, name FROM default.numbers where id in (_1) or name in (_2)",
- external, [] (const Block& block)
- {
- for (size_t i = 0; i < block.GetRowCount(); ++i) {
- std::cout << block[0]->As()->At(i) << " "
- << block[1]->As()->At(i) << "\n";
- }
- }
- );
- }
+set(CH_USE_ABSEIL_FOR_BIGNUM OFF)
+set(CH_MAP_BOOL_TO_UINT8 OFF)
- /// Delete table.
- client.Execute("DROP TABLE default.numbers");
+add_subdirectory(contrib/clickhouse-cpp)
- return 0;
-}
+add_executable(application-example app.cpp)
+target_link_libraries(application-example PRIVATE clickhouse-cpp-lib)
```
-- `touch CMakeLists.txt`, then copy the following CMake code into that file
+### CMake with FetchContent
+
+You can also let CMake download clickhouse-cpp during configuration:
```cmake
-cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.12)
-project(application-example)
+cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.14)
+project(application-example LANGUAGES CXX)
+
+include(FetchContent)
+
+set(CH_USE_ABSEIL_FOR_BIGNUM OFF)
+set(CH_MAP_BOOL_TO_UINT8 OFF)
-set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 17)
+FetchContent_Declare(
+ clickhouse_cpp
+ GIT_REPOSITORY https://github.com/ClickHouse/clickhouse-cpp.git
+ GIT_TAG v2.6.2
+)
+FetchContent_MakeAvailable(clickhouse_cpp)
-add_subdirectory(contribs/clickhouse-cpp)
+add_executable(application-example app.cpp)
+target_link_libraries(application-example PRIVATE clickhouse-cpp-lib)
+```
-add_executable(${PROJECT_NAME} "app.cpp")
+### Bazel
-target_include_directories(${PROJECT_NAME} PRIVATE contribs/clickhouse-cpp/ contribs/clickhouse-cpp/contrib/absl)
+Bazel support is experimental and uses bzlmod. Add clickhouse-cpp to your `MODULE.bazel`:
-target_link_libraries(${PROJECT_NAME} PRIVATE clickhouse-cpp-lib)
+```bzl
+bazel_dep(name = "clickhouse-cpp", version = "2.6.2")
```
-- run `rm -rf build && cmake -B build -S . && cmake --build build -j32` to remove remainders of the previous builds, run CMake and build the
- application. The generated binary is located in location `build/application-example`.
+Then depend on the library from your `BUILD.bazel`:
+
+```bzl
+cc_binary(
+ name = "application-example",
+ srcs = ["app.cpp"],
+ deps = ["@clickhouse-cpp//:clickhouse"],
+)
+```
-## Experimental Bazel support
+By default, the Bazel build uses BoringSSL for TLS because it builds reliably across platforms on
+BCR and matches what many Bazel workspaces already link against. Use `--@clickhouse-cpp//:tls=openssl`
+to build with OpenSSL, or `--@clickhouse-cpp//:tls=no` to build without TLS support.
-If you use Bazel, you can also use it to import the library into your project. However, please keep
-in mind that Bazel support is currently experimental and is still being refined. This means things
-might change as we improve and update the setup.
+Please keep in mind that Bazel support is currently experimental and is still being refined.
+This means things might change as we improve and update the setup.
Most importantly, the project includes settings that were added for compatibility with older
versions of the library and its API, and to preserve old behavior. These settings will not be part
of the Bazel configuration. This means that even when only the minor version changes your build
still might break.
-Additionally, by default, the library is built with BoringSSL and not OpenSSL because it builds
-reliably across platforms on BCR today and matches what many Bazel workspaces, such as gRPC and
-Envoy, already link against.
+## Supported data types
+
+* Array(T)
+* Bool
+* Date
+* DateTime, DateTime64
+* DateTime([timezone]), DateTime64(N, [timezone])
+* Decimal32, Decimal64, Decimal128
+* Enum8, Enum16
+* FixedString(N)
+* Float32, Float64
+* IPv4, IPv6
+* Nullable(T)
+* String
+* LowCardinality(String) or LowCardinality(FixedString(N))
+* Tuple
+* UInt8, UInt16, UInt32, UInt64, Int8, Int16, Int32, Int64
+* UInt128, Int128
+* UUID
+* Map
+* Point, Ring, Polygon, MultiPolygon
+* JSON
-It is still possible to build the library with OpenSSL by using the `tls=openssl` option. TLS
-support can be completely omitted with the `tls=no` option.
+Important notes:
+- With CMake Bool type is mapped to `clickhouse::ColumnUInt8` by default for backwards compatibility. Use
+`-DCH_MAP_BOOL_TO_UINT8=OFF` to map Bool to `clickhouse::ColumnBool`.
+- JSON requires requires setting `output_format_native_write_json_as_string=1 enabled for the query.
## Batch Insertion