SQLite Explorer (sqex)

sqex is an app for quick explorations of SQLite databases from the terminal. It lets you browse the schema and data of a database, run queries with a vim-mode SQL editor, and export results as CSV or JSON.

It is an inspection tool, not an admin tool: it never creates database files, never writes to your database implicitly, and asks before running anything destructive.

Installation

1. Install Rust (1.88 or later) if you don't have it:

   brew install rust
   cargo --version

2. Install sqex:

   cargo install --git https://github.com/rsmenon/sqlite-explorer.git

   SQLite is bundled — there is no system dependency. Saved queries, query history, recent databases, and settings are stored locally in ~/.sqex/sqex.db.

3. Open a database:

   sqex path/to/db.sqlite

   Or launch bare and open a file (or a recent database) from the Settings tab.

   Shell completions and a man page are generated on demand: sqex --completions <bash|zsh|fish> and sqex --man-page each print to stdout.

Usage

The interface has three tabs, switched with E, Q, and I from anywhere:

• Explore — a sidebar of tables, views, triggers, and pragmas; the detail panel shows columns, a filterable and sortable data preview, indexes, DDL, and storage stats. Foreign keys are jumpable: land on a referencing column or cell and follow it to the referenced table.
• Query — a SQL editor with vim keybindings, syntax highlighting, and autocomplete for table and column names. Results are paginated, and grids support a cell cursor, filtering, sorting, row/cell/full-result copy, and a full-value view for long text, JSON, and blobs. Query history is kept per database, survives restarts, and is searchable.
• Settings — open a database by path or from recents, toggle the theme, set the page size.

Tab moves between panes, Ctrl+D (or Ctrl+C) quits, and ? shows every keybinding — start there.

Databases open read-only by default (SQLite itself rejects any write, and destructive queries/ANALYZE are blocked with a status message instead of the confirm dialog). Pass --write to open writable.

Queries run synchronously: a long-running query blocks the interface until it finishes. Press Esc or Ctrl+C while one is running to cancel it (also works for exact row count and ANALYZE).