DEV Community: Mike Burgh

Build SQL Queries Without Writing SQL

Mike Burgh — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 10:00:06 +0000

Not everyone wants to write SQL by hand. Sometimes you just want to grab some data from a couple of tables without remembering JOIN syntax.

DBCode has a visual query builder that lets you do exactly that.

How It Works

Open the query builder, pick your tables. DBCode shows you the columns. Click the ones you want. Add a join by dragging between tables. Set filters with dropdowns. Pick sort order.

DBCode writes the SQL. You see it update in real time as you click.

Joins Made Simple

This is where it really helps. Adding a JOIN in the query builder is just connecting two tables visually. DBCode figures out the relationship from your foreign keys.

No more looking up which column connects orders to customers. Just click.

When to Use It

Exploring unfamiliar databases. Don't know the schema yet? The query builder shows you what's there. Click around until you find what you need.

Quick data checks. Need to see all orders from last week? Faster to click than to type.

Learning SQL. Watch the SQL update as you build visually. Great way to understand how JOINs, WHERE clauses, and GROUP BY work.

Building complex queries incrementally. Start with the builder, then switch to the SQL editor to fine-tune.

You Can Always Switch to SQL

The query builder isn't a replacement for the SQL editor. It's a starting point. Build your query visually, then click Open in Editor to copy the generated SQL into the SQL editor where you can hand-edit it.

AI Queries Too

There's a third option. Type plain English into the query builder toolbar: "Show me the top customers by revenue this quarter with their most recent order date." DBCode reads your schema, builds the query, and updates the canvas with tables, joins, and filters. No Copilot needed.

Three ways to query: write SQL, build visually, or ask in English. Use whichever fits the moment.

Get DBCode: https://dbcode.io/docs/query/query-builder

SQL Notebooks in VS Code: Like Jupyter, But for Databases

Mike Burgh — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 10:00:37 +0000

If you've used Jupyter notebooks for Python, you already know the concept. Cells of code mixed with documentation. Run them individually or all at once. See results inline.

DBCode brings the same idea to SQL.

What Are SQL Notebooks?

A SQL notebook is a file with cells. Each cell is either SQL or markdown. You write a query, run it, and see results right below the cell. Add a markdown cell to explain what the query does. Run the whole notebook top to bottom, or pick individual cells.

Why Not Just Use .sql Files?

You could. But .sql files are flat. You run the whole thing or nothing. You can't mix documentation with queries. You can't see results next to the query that produced them.

Notebooks give you:

Cell-by-cell execution. Run one query at a time. Check results. Move to the next.
Inline results. No switching between editor and results panel.
Documentation baked in. Markdown cells explain the context. Why this query exists. What to look for in the results.
Shareable. Save as a file. Commit to git. Share with your team.

Use Cases

Onboarding. New dev joins the team? Hand them a notebook that walks through the schema. "Here's the users table. Here's how orders connect to products. Here's the query to find active subscriptions."

Incident investigation. Something's wrong in production. Open a notebook, write queries to check different tables, add notes about what you find. When you're done, you have a documented investigation you can share.

Reporting. Weekly metrics? Build a notebook. Run it every Monday. Results right there next to the queries.

Learning SQL. Teaching someone SQL? Notebooks let them read the explanation, run the query, see the result. All in one place.

How to Get Started

Install DBCode in VS Code
Connect to a database
Right-click a connection and select "New Notebook"
Start adding cells

Works with all 50+ databases DBCode supports. Postgres, MySQL, MongoDB, Snowflake, whatever you're running.

Try it: https://dbcode.io/docs/notebooks

Stop Alt-Tabbing to Your Database Client

Mike Burgh — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 10:00:38 +0000

Count how many times you switch between VS Code and your database client today. I bet it's more than you think.

pgAdmin in one window. DBeaver in another. Maybe a terminal running psql. Your code in VS Code. You're constantly switching context, losing focus, and breaking your flow.

The Fix

DBCode puts a full database client inside VS Code. Not a toy. Not a "run a quick query" tool. A proper client with:

Schema browser with tree view for databases, schemas, tables, views, functions
Data editor where you click a table and see its data. Filter, sort, edit inline.
SQL editor with autocomplete that knows your schema
Query builder for when you don't want to write SQL at all
Charts from query results (bar, line, pie, scatter, area)
Notebooks for combining queries with documentation
Encrypted sharing so you can send results to teammates without screenshots

It Works With Everything

50+ databases. Postgres, MySQL, MongoDB, SQL Server, SQLite, Snowflake, BigQuery, DuckDB, Redis, Clickhouse, Cassandra, Neo4j... the list keeps going.

Same interface for all of them. Learn it once.

AI Included

The query builder has built-in AI. Type plain English into the toolbar: "Show me the top 10 customers by revenue this month." DBCode reads your schema and builds the query. No extra setup needed.

Inline completions and natural language SQL generation work the same way. Write a comment like -- find all users with last name "Smith" and the query appears. Works with GitHub Copilot if you have it, or DBCode's own AI if you don't.

Getting Started

Open VS Code
Install DBCode from the Extensions panel
Click the DBCode icon in the sidebar
Add a connection

That's it. No configuration files. No CLI tools. No separate server to run.

Free to start: https://dbcode.io

How to Query PostgreSQL from VS Code (Without Installing Anything Else)

Mike Burgh — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 10:00:27 +0000

If you work with PostgreSQL and VS Code, you've probably got pgAdmin or DBeaver open in another window. Maybe a terminal running psql. Alt-tab, run query, alt-tab back. Fifty times a day.

There's a better way.

Install DBCode

Open the Extensions panel in VS Code. Search "DBCode". Click Install. Done.

Connect to PostgreSQL

Click the DBCode icon in the sidebar, then "New Connection". Pick PostgreSQL, enter your connection details.

If you're on Supabase or Neon, DBCode can auto-discover your databases. One click.

Browse Your Data

Your databases, schemas, and tables show up in a tree view. Click any table to see its data right away. No SQL needed.

Filter, sort, and group with clicks. Need to edit a row? Click it, change the value, hit apply. DBCode shows you what will change before it runs.

Write SQL (or Let AI Do It)

The SQL editor has syntax highlighting and autocomplete that knows your schema. It suggests table names, columns, and relationships as you type.

If you have GitHub Copilot, just ask in plain English: "Show me all users who signed up in the last 7 days." Copilot writes the SQL, DBCode runs it.

Build Queries Visually

Don't want to write SQL at all? The query builder lets you pick tables, add joins, set filters, and sort. All with clicks. DBCode generates the SQL for you.

Turn Results into Charts

Select your query results and pick a chart type: bar, line, pie, scatter, or area. No extra tools. No exporting to a spreadsheet.

Share Results Securely

Need to send query results to someone? DBCode generates encrypted, passphrase-protected links that expire automatically. They don't need VS Code or DBCode to view them.

Not Just Postgres

DBCode works with 50+ databases. Same interface for all of them. Postgres today, MySQL tomorrow, MongoDB next week. Learn it once.

Works on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Get started

You Don't Need a Separate Database Client

Mike Burgh — Sat, 28 Feb 2026 01:00:31 +0000

pgAdmin in one window. VS Code in another. Alt-tab to check a column name, alt-tab back to write the query, alt-tab again to run it.

DBCode is a VS Code extension that puts a database client right in your editor.

Browse everything

Connect and your databases, schemas, tables, views, stored procedures, functions, external tables all show up in the sidebar. Click a table or view to see its data. No SQL needed.

Edit data inline

Double-click a cell to edit it. Make your changes, then hit Save. DBCode runs a verify check on each affected row before executing to make sure only the intended rows are updated.

SQL with autocomplete

The editor knows your schema. Table names, columns, functions, all suggested as you type.

Visual query builder

Pick tables, set up joins, choose columns, add filters. DBCode writes the SQL.

AI queries

Ask "show me all users who signed up this week" and DBCode writes the SQL. It knows your schema so the output works. Integrates with GitHub Copilot too.

Share results

Generate an encrypted link to query results. Passphrase protected, auto-expires. Recipients don't need DBCode to view it.

50+ databases

Postgres, MySQL, MongoDB, SQL Server, SQLite, Snowflake, BigQuery, DuckDB, Redis, Clickhouse and more. Same interface for all of them.

Get started

Open VS Code
Search "DBCode" in Extensions
Click the DBCode icon in the sidebar
Add a connection

Get started