How do I run database queries directly from Vim using vim-dadbod?

Explanation

vim-dadbod by Tim Pope is a plugin that lets you interact with databases directly from Vim. It supports PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, SQL Server, MongoDB, Redis, and many other database systems, all through a unified interface.

How it works

The :DB command takes a database URL and a SQL query. The URL follows a standard format: adapter:connection_string. vim-dadbod executes the query using the appropriate command-line client (like psql, mysql, or sqlite3) and displays the results in a new buffer.

You can set a default database connection with let g:db = 'postgresql://user:pass@localhost/mydb', then simply use :DB followed by your query without repeating the connection string. The plugin also works with visual selections: select a SQL statement in visual mode and run :'<,'>DB to execute just that portion.

The companion plugin vim-dadbod-ui adds a drawer-style interface with saved queries, table browsing, and connection management.

Example

Install the plugin and its UI companion:

Plug 'tpope/vim-dadbod'
Plug 'kristijanhusak/vim-dadbod-ui'
Plug 'kristijanhusak/vim-dadbod-completion'

let g:db = 'sqlite:myproject.db'

Common usage patterns:

" Run a query with explicit connection
:DB sqlite:mydb.sqlite SELECT * FROM users

" Use the default connection
:DB SELECT name, email FROM users WHERE active = 1

" Execute the current line as a query
:.DB

" Execute a visual selection
:'<,'>DB

" Open the database UI
:DBUI

With vim-dadbod-completion installed, you also get autocompletion for table names, column names, and SQL keywords when editing SQL files or dadbod buffers, making it a full database IDE inside Vim.