Join Data from Anywhere: The Streaming SQL Engine That Bridges Databases, APIs, and Files

Theodore P. — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 21:55:43 +0000

Have you ever needed to join data from a MySQL database with a PostgreSQL database, a MongoDB collection, and a REST API all in one query? Traditional databases can't do this. That's why I built the Streaming SQL Engine.

The Problem: Data Lives Everywhere

Modern applications don't store all their data in one place. You might have:

User data in PostgreSQL
Order data in MySQL
Product catalog in MongoDB
Pricing information from a REST API
Inventory data in CSV files
Product feeds in XML files

The challenge: How do you join all this data together?

Traditional solutions require:

Exporting data from each system
Importing into a central database
Writing complex ETL pipelines
Maintaining data synchronization

There had to be a better way.

The Solution: Streaming SQL Engine

I built a lightweight Python library that lets you join data from any source using standard SQL syntax without exporting, importing, or setting up infrastructure.

Example:

from streaming_sql_engine import Engine
import psycopg2
import pymysql
from pymongo import MongoClient
import requests
import csv

engine = Engine()

# Register PostgreSQL source (iterator function)
def postgres_users():
    conn = psycopg2.connect(host="localhost", database="mydb", user="user", password="pass")
    cursor = conn.cursor()
    cursor.execute("SELECT id, name, email FROM users")
    for row in cursor:
        yield {"id": row[0], "name": row[1], "email": row[2]}
    conn.close()
engine.register("postgres_users", postgres_users)

# Register MySQL source (iterator function)
def mysql_products():
    conn = pymysql.connect(host="localhost", database="mydb", user="user", password="pass")
    cursor = conn.cursor()
    cursor.execute("SELECT id, name, price FROM products")
    for row in cursor:
        yield {"id": row[0], "name": row[1], "price": row[2]}
    conn.close()
engine.register("mysql_products", mysql_products)

# Register MongoDB source (iterator function)
def mongo_inventory():
    client = MongoClient("mongodb://localhost:27017")
    for doc in client.mydb.inventory.find():
        yield doc
engine.register("mongo_inventory", mongo_inventory)

# Register REST API source (iterator function)
def api_prices():
    response = requests.get("https://api.example.com/prices")
    for item in response.json():
        yield item
engine.register("api_prices", api_prices)

# Register CSV source (iterator function)
def csv_suppliers():
    with open("suppliers.csv") as f:
        for row in csv.DictReader(f):
            yield row
engine.register("csv_suppliers", csv_suppliers)

# Join them all in one SQL query!
query = """
    SELECT
        mysql_products.name,
        postgres_users.email,
        mongo_inventory.quantity,
        api_prices.price,
        csv_suppliers.supplier_name
    FROM mysql_products
    JOIN postgres_users ON mysql_products.user_id = postgres_users.id
    JOIN mongo_inventory ON mysql_products.sku = mongo_inventory.sku
    JOIN api_prices ON mysql_products.sku = api_prices.sku
    JOIN csv_suppliers ON mysql_products.supplier_id = csv_suppliers.id
    WHERE api_prices.price > 100
"""

for row in engine.query(query):
    process(row)

That's it. No clusters, no infrastructure, no data export - just pure Python and SQL.

Why I Built This: The Problem That Needed Solving

I was working on a data reconciliation project where I needed to join data from multiple sources:

MySQL database (product catalog)
PostgreSQL database (user data)
MongoDB collection (inventory)
REST API (pricing information)
CSV files (supplier data)

The challenge: Traditional databases can't join across different systems. I had three options:

Export everything to one database - Time-consuming, requires ETL pipelines, data becomes stale
Write custom Python code - Complex, error-prone, hard to maintain
Use existing tools - Spark/Flink require clusters, DuckDB requires data import, Presto needs infrastructure

None of these worked for my use case. I needed something that:

Could join data from different systems without export
Was simple to use (SQL syntax)
Required zero infrastructure
Worked with Python natively
Processed data efficiently (streaming)

So I built the Streaming SQL Engine.

How I Built It: Architecture and Design Decisions

Core Design Philosophy

The engine follows a pipeline architecture inspired by database query execution engines (like PostgreSQL and SQLite), but implemented in pure Python using iterators.

Key insight: Python's iterator protocol is perfect for streaming data. Each operator in the pipeline is an iterator that processes rows one at a time.

Why Iterator-Based Architecture?

Key advantages:

Memory efficiency: Only one row in memory at a time (except for join indexes)
Lazy evaluation: Processing starts only when you iterate over results
Composability: Operators can be chained arbitrarily
Extensibility: Easy to add new operators
Python-native: Uses standard Python iterator protocol

Trade-offs:

Performance: Python iterators are slower than compiled code, but flexibility is worth it
Memory: Join indexes require memory, but this is necessary for efficient joins
Complexity: Iterator chains can be complex, but they're composable and testable

Expression Evaluation

How WHERE clauses are evaluated:

The engine uses recursive AST traversal to evaluate expressions:

Why recursive: SQL expressions are trees. Recursive evaluation naturally handles nested expressions like (a > 10 AND b < 20) OR c = 5.

Join Algorithm Selection

How the engine chooses join algorithms:

The engine follows this priority order when selecting a join algorithm:

Check if both sides are sorted (ordered_by metadata)

If yes, use MergeJoinIterator (most memory-efficient for sorted data)
Only used when use_polars=False

Check if right side is a file (filename metadata)

If yes, use MmapLookupJoinIterator (memory-mapped, 90-99% memory reduction)
Only used when use_polars=False

Check if Polars is available (use_polars flag)

If yes, use PolarsLookupJoinIterator (vectorized, SIMD-accelerated)
Used when use_polars=True is explicitly set

Default fallback
- Use LookupJoinIterator (Python hash-based, most compatible)

Note: When use_polars=False (default), Merge Join and MMAP Join are checked first before falling back to Python Lookup Join. When use_polars=True is explicitly set, the engine prioritizes Polars over MMAP and Merge Join.

Protocol-Based Optimization

The key innovation: Automatic optimization detection via function signature inspection.

How it works:

Engine inspects source function signature using inspect.signature()
If function accepts dynamic_where or dynamic_columns parameters, it supports optimizations
Engine passes optimization parameters automatically
Source function applies optimizations (filter pushdown, column pruning)

Why this approach:

No flags needed: Detection is automatic
Flexible: Any Python function can be a source
Backward compatible: Simple sources still work (no optimizations)
Extensible: Easy to add new optimization parameters

Example:

# Simple source (no optimizations)
def simple_source():
    return iter([{"id": 1, "name": "Alice"}])

# Optimized source (with protocol)
def optimized_source(dynamic_where=None, dynamic_columns=None):
    query = "SELECT "
    if dynamic_columns:
        query += ", ".join(dynamic_columns)
    else:
        query += "*"
    query += " FROM table"
    if dynamic_where:
        query += f" WHERE {dynamic_where}"
    return execute_query(query)

# Both work the same way:
engine.register("users", simple_source)  # No optimizations
engine.register("products", optimized_source)  # Optimizations apply automatically!

Memory Management

Key strategies:

Streaming: Process one row at a time, never load full tables
Join indexes: Only right side of joins is materialized (necessary for lookups)
Memory-mapped files: For large JSONL files, use OS virtual memory
Column pruning: Only extract needed columns
Filter pushdown: Filter at source, reduce data transfer

Memory footprint:

Left side of join: O(1) - one row at a time
Right side of join: O(n) - hash index in memory
Total: O(n) where n = size of right side

Why this works: In most queries, the right side is smaller (e.g., joining large product table with small category table). The engine is designed to put smaller tables on the right side.

Performance Optimizations

1. Polars Vectorization

When Polars is available, the engine uses vectorized operations:

# Instead of row-by-row filtering:
for row in rows:
    if row['price'] > 100:
        yield row

# Use Polars batch filtering:
df = pl.DataFrame(rows)
filtered_df = df.filter(pl.col('price') > 100)
for row in filtered_df.iter_rows(named=True):
    yield row

Why faster: Polars uses SIMD instructions and columnar processing, 10-200x faster than row-by-row Python loops.

2. Memory-Mapped Joins

For large JSONL files, use OS virtual memory instead of loading into RAM:

# Instead of loading entire file:
with open('large_file.jsonl') as f:
    data = [json.loads(line) for line in f]  # 10GB in memory!

# Use memory-mapped file:
import mmap
with open('large_file.jsonl', 'rb') as f:
    mm = mmap.mmap(f.fileno(), 0, access=mmap.ACCESS_READ)
    # OS handles memory, can process files larger than RAM

Why this works: OS virtual memory allows accessing file data without loading it all into RAM. 90-99% memory reduction for large files.

3. First Match Only Optimization

For joins where only the first match matters (prevents Cartesian products).

Why useful: Prevents Cartesian products when right side has duplicate keys. Significantly reduces output size and processing time.

4. Column Pruning

Only extracts columns needed for the query, reducing I/O and memory:

# Query only requests 'name' and 'price'
query = "SELECT name, price FROM products"

# Engine automatically requests only these columns from source
def source(dynamic_columns=None):
    columns = ", ".join(dynamic_columns)  # ['name', 'price']
    query = f"SELECT {columns} FROM table"

5. Filter Pushdown

Pushes WHERE conditions to data sources when possible:

# Query has WHERE clause
query = "SELECT * FROM products WHERE price > 100"

# Engine automatically pushes filter to source
def source(dynamic_where=None):
    query = f"SELECT * FROM table WHERE {dynamic_where}"

6. Merge Joins

Efficient joins for pre-sorted data (O(n+m) time complexity):

# Register with ordered_by to enable merge join
engine.register("users", users_source, ordered_by="id")

# Engine uses merge join algorithm
# Both sides must be sorted by join key

Design Decisions and Trade-offs

1. Why Python iterators instead of compiled code?

Decision: Use Python iterators for flexibility

Trade-off: Slower than compiled code, but:

Works with any Python data source
Easy to extend and customize
No compilation step needed
Python-native integration

2. Why separate logical planning from execution?

Decision: Two-phase approach (plan then execute)

Trade-off: Extra step, but:

Enables query optimization
Easier to test and debug
Can reuse planning logic
Clear separation of concerns

3. Why protocol-based optimization instead of flags?

Decision: Automatic detection via function signature

Trade-off: Slightly more complex detection, but:

No flags to remember
Automatic optimization
Backward compatible
More Pythonic

4. Why materialize right side of joins?

Decision: Build hash index on right side

Trade-off: Memory usage, but:

O(1) lookup time per left row
Necessary for efficient joins
Can use memory-mapped files for large files
Standard database approach

5. Why limit SQL features (no GROUP BY, aggregations)?

Decision: Focus on joins and filtering

Trade-off: Less SQL support, but:

Simpler implementation
Faster execution
Focuses on core use case (cross-system joins)
Can add later if needed

The Result

A lightweight Python library that:

Joins data from any source using SQL
Processes data row-by-row (streaming)
Requires zero infrastructure
Automatically optimizes when possible
Works with any Python iterator

The key insight: Python's iterator protocol is perfect for streaming SQL execution. By combining SQL parsing, logical planning, and iterator-based execution, I created a tool that solves a real problem: joining data from different systems without complex infrastructure.

How It Works: Streaming Architecture

The engine processes data row-by-row, never loading entire tables into memory:

SQL Query
    |
Parser -> AST
    |
Planner -> Logical Plan
    |
Executor -> Iterator Pipeline
    |
Results (Generator)

Iterator Pipeline:

ScanIterator -> FilterIterator -> JoinIterators -> ProjectIterator -> Results

Each iterator processes rows incrementally, enabling true streaming execution. This means:

Low memory footprint
Can process data larger than RAM
Results yielded immediately
No buffering required

Supported Data Sources

The engine works with any Python iterator, making it incredibly flexible:

Databases

All databases are accessed via Python iterator functions. The engine doesn't use connectors - it works with any Python function that returns an iterator:

PostgreSQL - Create iterator function that queries PostgreSQL and yields rows
MySQL - Create iterator function that queries MySQL and yields rows
MongoDB - Create iterator function that queries MongoDB and yields documents

Files

CSV - Standard CSV files
JSONL - JSON Lines format with memory-mapped joins
JSON - Standard JSON files
XML - XML parsing with ElementTree

APIs

REST APIs - Any HTTP endpoint
GraphQL - Via custom functions
WebSockets - Streaming data sources

Custom Sources

Any Python function that returns an iterator
Generators - Perfect for streaming data
Custom transformations - Apply Python logic between joins

SQL Features

The engine supports standard SQL syntax:

Supported Features

SELECT - Column selection, aliasing, table-qualified columns

SELECT users.name, orders.total AS order_total
FROM users
JOIN orders ON users.id = orders.user_id

JOIN - INNER JOIN and LEFT JOIN with equality conditions

SELECT *
FROM table1 t1
JOIN table2 t2 ON t1.id = t2.id
LEFT JOIN table3 t3 ON t1.id = t3.id

WHERE - Comparisons, boolean logic, NULL checks, IN clauses

SELECT *
FROM products
WHERE price > 100
  AND status IN ('active', 'pending')
  AND description IS NOT NULL

Arithmetic - Addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, modulo

SELECT
  price - discount AS final_price,
  quantity * unit_price AS total
FROM orders

Not Supported

GROUP BY and aggregations (COUNT, SUM, AVG)
ORDER BY
HAVING
Subqueries

These limitations keep the engine focused on joins and filtering - its core strength.

Real-World Examples

Example 1: Microservices Data Integration

In a microservices architecture, data is distributed across services:

from streaming_sql_engine import Engine
import psycopg2
import pymysql
import requests

engine = Engine()

# Service 1: User service (PostgreSQL) - iterator function
def users_source():
    conn = psycopg2.connect(host="user-db", port=5432, user="user", password="pass", database="users_db")
    cursor = conn.cursor()
    cursor.execute("SELECT id, name, email FROM users")
    for row in cursor:
        yield {"id": row[0], "name": row[1], "email": row[2]}
    conn.close()
engine.register("users", users_source)

# Service 2: Order service (MySQL) - iterator function
def orders_source():
    conn = pymysql.connect(host="order-db", port=3306, user="user", password="pass", database="orders_db")
    cursor = conn.cursor()
    cursor.execute("SELECT id, user_id, total FROM orders")
    for row in cursor:
        yield {"id": row[0], "user_id": row[1], "total": row[2]}
    conn.close()
engine.register("orders", orders_source)

# Service 3: Payment service (REST API) - iterator function
def payment_source():
    response = requests.get("https://payments.service/api/transactions")
    for item in response.json():
        yield item
engine.register("payments", payment_source)

# Join across services
query = """
    SELECT users.name, orders.total, payments.status
    FROM users
    JOIN orders ON users.id = orders.user_id
    JOIN payments ON orders.id = payments.order_id
"""

Why this matters: No need for a shared database or complex ETL pipelines. The engine accepts any Python function that returns an iterator, making it incredibly flexible.

Example 2: Real-Time Price Comparison

Compare prices from multiple XML feeds and match with MongoDB:

def parse_xml(filepath):
    tree = ET.parse(filepath)
    for product in tree.findall('.//product'):
        yield {
            'ean': product.find('ean').text,
            'price': float(product.find('price').text),
            'name': product.find('name').text
        }

engine.register("xml1", lambda: parse_xml("prices1.xml"))
engine.register("xml2", lambda: parse_xml("prices2.xml"))
engine.register("mongo", mongo_source)

query = """
    SELECT
        xml1.ean,
        xml1.price AS price1,
        xml2.price AS price2,
        mongo.sf_sku
    FROM xml1
    JOIN xml2 ON xml1.ean = xml2.ean
    JOIN mongo ON xml1.ean = mongo.ean
    WHERE xml1.price != xml2.price
"""

Example 3: Python Processing Between Joins

Apply Python logic (ML models, custom functions) between joins:

def enriched_source():
    """Source that processes data with Python before joining"""
    import psycopg2
    conn = psycopg2.connect(host="localhost", database="mydb", user="user", password="pass")
    cursor = conn.cursor()
    cursor.execute("SELECT id, name, category_id FROM products")
    for row in cursor:
        product = {"id": row[0], "name": row[1], "category_id": row[2]}
        # Apply Python logic
        product['ml_score'] = ml_model.predict(product)
        product['custom_field'] = custom_function(product)
        yield product
    conn.close()

def categories_source():
    import psycopg2
    conn = psycopg2.connect(host="localhost", database="mydb", user="user", password="pass")
    cursor = conn.cursor()
    cursor.execute("SELECT id, name FROM categories")
    for row in cursor:
        yield {"id": row[0], "category_name": row[1]}
    conn.close()

engine.register("enriched_products", enriched_source)
engine.register("categories", categories_source)

query = """
    SELECT p.name, p.ml_score, c.category_name
    FROM enriched_products p
    JOIN categories c ON p.category_id = c.id
"""

Why this matters: Seamless integration with Python ecosystem - use any library, apply any logic.

Comparison with Alternatives

vs DuckDB

Feature	Streaming SQL Engine	DuckDB
Cross-system joins	✅ Direct	⚠️ Requires import
API + Database join	✅ Direct	❌ Must export API
Real-time streaming	✅ True streaming	⚠️ Buffering needed
Python processing	✅ Native	⚠️ Export/import
GROUP BY / Aggregations	❌ Not supported	✅ Full support
Performance (same DB)	⚠️ Moderate	✅ Very fast

Use Streaming SQL Engine when: You need to join data from different systems that can't be imported into DuckDB.

Use DuckDB when: All data can be imported and you need aggregations.

vs Pandas

Feature	Streaming SQL Engine	Pandas
Cross-system joins	✅ Direct	❌ Must load all data
Memory efficiency	✅ Streaming	❌ Loads all in memory
SQL syntax	✅ Standard SQL	❌ DataFrame API
Large datasets	✅ Can exceed RAM	❌ Limited by RAM
Real-time data	✅ Streaming	❌ Batch only
File formats	✅ Any Python iterator	⚠️ Limited formats
Performance (large data)	✅ Streaming	⚠️ Slower for large data

Use Streaming SQL Engine when: You need to join data from different systems, process data larger than RAM, or use SQL syntax.

Use Pandas when: All data fits in memory and you prefer DataFrame API.

Are There Other Tools Like This?

Short answer: Not exactly.

While there are many tools that do parts of what Streaming SQL Engine does, none combine all these characteristics:

What Makes Streaming SQL Engine Unique

Zero Infrastructure + Cross-System Joins

Most tools require clusters (Spark, Flink, Drill)
Or require specific infrastructure (ksqlDB needs Kafka)
Streaming SQL Engine: Just Python

Any Python Iterator as Data Source

Most tools require specific connectors
Streaming SQL Engine: Any Python function works

Direct API Joins

Most tools can't join REST APIs directly
Streaming SQL Engine: Native support

Python-Native Architecture
- Most tools are Java/Rust with Python wrappers
- Streaming SQL Engine: Pure Python, seamless integration

Similar Tools (But Different)

Apache Drill - Similar cross-system capability, but requires cluster and Java

ksqlDB - Streaming SQL, but Kafka-only and requires infrastructure

Materialize - Streaming database, but requires database server

DataFusion - Fast SQL engine, but limited to Arrow/Parquet data

Polars SQL - Fast SQL, but requires loading data into DataFrames first

Presto/Trino - Cross-system SQL, but requires cluster infrastructure

None of these combine:

Zero infrastructure
Any Python iterator as source
Direct API joins
Pure Python implementation
Simple deployment

That's what makes Streaming SQL Engine unique.

Start Here: The Most Secure Way

Step 1: Install and Basic Setup

pip install streaming-sql-engine

The Most Stable Join Option

Lookup Join (Default)

What it is: Python hash-based join - the default when no special metadata is provided.

How to use:

engine = Engine()  # use_polars=False (default)
engine.register("products", products_source)
engine.register("images", images_source)
# No special metadata - uses Lookup Join automatically

How it works:

Builds hash index on right side (loads all right rows into memory)
Streams left side row-by-row
Looks up matches in hash index (O(1) per lookup)

When to use:

Default choice - works with any data
Small to medium datasets (< 1M rows)
When right side fits in memory
When data is not sorted

Pros:

✅ Most compatible (works with any data types)
✅ No special requirements
✅ Reliable and stable
✅ Good performance for medium datasets

Cons:

⚠️ Loads entire right side into memory
⚠️ Not optimal for very large right tables

Some recommendations from the author.

Recommendation 1: Use Merge Join if Data is Sorted (Fastest + Lowest Memory)

Best for: Pre-sorted data or data that can be sorted once

Configuration:

engine = Engine(use_polars=False)  # Merge Join requires use_polars=False
engine.register("products", products_source, ordered_by="product_id")
engine.register("images", images_source, ordered_by="product_id")

Why it's best:

✅ Lowest memory overhead
✅ True streaming (both sides stream simultaneously)
✅ Fast execution (comparable to other options)
✅ Can handle datasets larger than RAM

When to use:

Data is already sorted by join key
Memory is a concern
You can sort data once (e.g., sort JSONL files before processing)
Both sides of join are sorted

Example: Preparing Data for Merge Join

# Step 1: Sort your JSONL files (one-time operation)
# Use a utility script or database ORDER BY
python examples/sort_jsonl.py products.jsonl products_sorted.jsonl product_id
python examples/sort_jsonl.py images.jsonl images_sorted.jsonl product_id

# Step 2: Use sorted files with Merge Join
engine = Engine(use_polars=False)
engine.register("products",
    lambda: load_jsonl("products_sorted.jsonl"),
    ordered_by="product_id")
engine.register("images",
    lambda: load_jsonl("images_sorted.jsonl"),
    ordered_by="product_id")

# Step 3: Query - Merge Join will be used automatically
query = """
    SELECT products.product_id, products.title, images.image
    FROM products
    LEFT JOIN images ON products.product_id = images.product_id
    WHERE products.checked = 1
"""

Recommendation 2: Use MMAP Join if Data is NOT Sorted (Low Memory)

Best for: Unsorted data, large files, memory-constrained environments

Configuration:

engine = Engine(use_polars=False)  # MMAP Join requires use_polars=False
engine.register("products", products_source, filename="products.jsonl")
engine.register("images", images_source, filename="images.jsonl")

Why it's best:

✅ Low memory overhead
✅ Works with unsorted data (no sorting required)
✅ OS-managed memory mapping (can handle files larger than RAM)
✅ 90-99% memory reduction compared to loading entire file

When to use:

Data is NOT sorted (or sorting is expensive)
Large files (> 100MB)
Memory-constrained systems
Files larger than available RAM
You want low memory without sorting

Example:

engine = Engine(use_polars=False)

def jsonl_source():
    with open("products.jsonl", "r") as f:
        for line in f:
            if line.strip():
                yield json.loads(line)

# Register with filename parameter to enable MMAP Join
engine.register("products", jsonl_source, filename="products.jsonl")
engine.register("images", images_source, filename="images.jsonl")

Recommendation 3: Use Polars + Optimizations for Best Throughput

Best for: Maximum speed when you can filter early and normalize data types

Configuration:

engine = Engine(use_polars=True, first_match_only=True)

def optimized_source(dynamic_where=None, dynamic_columns=None):
    """
    Source with all optimizations:
    - Filter pushdown (dynamic_where)
    - Column pruning (dynamic_columns)
    - Data normalization (for Polars)
    """
    # Build optimized query
    query = build_query(dynamic_where, dynamic_columns)

    for row in execute_query(query):
        # Normalize types for Polars stability
        yield normalize_types(row)

engine.register("products", optimized_source)
engine.register("images", images_source)

Why it's best:

✅ Fastest execution time
✅ Low memory overhead
✅ Early filtering reduces data volume significantly
✅ Vectorized operations (SIMD acceleration)
✅ All optimizations combined (filter pushdown + column pruning)

When to use:

You can filter data early (WHERE clause can be pushed to source)
Data types are consistent (can normalize)
Speed is priority
Polars is available
You want maximum performance

Trade-offs:

⚠️ Requires protocol support in source function (dynamic_where, dynamic_columns)
⚠️ Requires data normalization for Polars stability
⚠️ Requires Polars dependency
⚠️ Processes fewer rows (because of early filtering)

Summary: Choosing the Right Configuration for 100K+ Records

Follow this decision tree:

Is your data sorted (or can you sort it)?

✅ YES Use Merge Join (ordered_by parameter)
- Best memory efficiency
- Fast execution
- True streaming

Is your data NOT sorted?

✅ YES Use MMAP Join (filename parameter)
- Low memory
- Works with unsorted data
- Good for large files

Do you need maximum throughput and can filter early?
- ✅ YES Use Polars + Optimizations (use_polars=True + protocols)
  - Fastest execution
  - Low memory
  - Requires protocol support

Default fallback: If none of the above apply, use Lookup Join (default Python) - it's stable and works with any data.

Performance

Comparison Table: 100K+ Records (150K+ Joined Rows)

Based on comprehensive benchmarks with 150,048 joined rows (50,089 products with ~3 images each, filtered to checked=1):

Configuration	Rows Processed	Time (s)	Memory Overhead (MB)	CPU %	Throughput (rows/s)
1. Merge Join (Sorted Data)	150,048	159.51	69.50	3.9%	941
2. Lookup Join (Default Python)	150,048	159.44	236.12	1.8%	941
3. Polars Join	150,048	157.74	285.64	4.1%	951
4. MMAP Join	150,048	165.74	77.48	5.0%	905
5. Polars + Column Pruning	150,048	157.72	243.85	3.1%	951
6. Polars + Filter Pushdown	150,048	157.74	239.38	2.0%	951
7. All Optimizations Combined	50,089	54.30	46.68	6.6%	922

Note: Configuration 7 processes fewer rows (50,089 vs 150,048) because it applies filter pushdown early, filtering products with checked=1 before the join. This demonstrates the power of early filtering.

Key Insights for 100K+ Records

Fastest Execution: All Optimizations Combined (54.30s)

Uses Polars Join + Column Pruning + Filter Pushdown + early filtering
Processes 50,089 rows (filtered early) vs 150,048 without filtering
Best for speed priority when you can filter early

Lowest Memory (Full Join): Merge Join (69.50 MB)

True streaming, no index needed
Best for memory-constrained environments with sorted data
Processes all 150,048 rows with minimal memory

Lowest Memory (Unsorted Data): MMAP Join (77.48 MB)

Works with unsorted data
OS-managed memory mapping
Best for large files when data is not sorted

Highest Throughput: Polars + Column Pruning (951 rows/s)

Vectorized operations + reduced I/O
Best for processing large volumes
Processes all 150,048 rows efficiently

Best Balance: Merge Join (159.51s, 69.50 MB)

Good speed with lowest memory overhead
Best for sorted data when memory matters
True streaming architecture

Performance Guide

By Dataset Size

Size	Configuration	Why
< 10K rows	`use_polars=False` (default)	Fastest, most stable
10K-100K rows	`use_polars=False` (default)	Still fastest, handles mixed types
100K-1M rows	See recommendations below	Choose based on data characteristics
> 1M rows	All optimizations	Maximum performance

For 100K-1M rows, choose based on the data:

Data is sorted Merge Join (ordered_by parameter)
Data is NOT sorted MMAP Join (filename parameter) -
Need maximum speed + can filter early Polars + Optimizations (use_polars=True + protocols)

Common Pitfalls

Pitfall 1: Using Polars Without Normalization

Problem:

engine = Engine(use_polars=True)
# Mixed types cause schema inference errors

Solution:

def normalized_source():
    for row in raw_source():
        yield {
            "id": int(row.get("id", 0)),
            "price": float(row.get("price", 0.0)),
        }

Pitfall 2: Using MMAP Without Polars (Very Slow)

Problem:

engine = Engine(use_polars=False)
engine.register("table", source, filename="data.jsonl")  # Very slow!

Solution:

# MMAP uses Polars internally for index building if available
# But you still need use_polars=False for MMAP Join algorithm
engine = Engine(use_polars=False)  # MMAP Join requires this
engine.register("table", source, filename="data.jsonl")
# MMAP will use Polars internally for faster index building

Pitfall 3: Using MMAP for Small Files

Problem:

# MMAP overhead > benefit for small files
engine.register("table", source, filename="small.jsonl")  # Slower!

Solution:

# No filename for small files
engine.register("table", source)  # Faster for < 100MB

Summary

Start Here (Most Secure)

engine = Engine()  # Default: use_polars=False
engine.register("table1", source1)
engine.register("table2", source2)

Why: Most stable, handles all edge cases, works with any data types

Then Experiment

Add debug mode: Engine(debug=True) - See what's happening
Try Polars: Engine(use_polars=True) - For large datasets
Try MMAP: filename="data.jsonl" - For large files
Try Merge Join: ordered_by="key" - For sorted data

Conclusion

The Streaming SQL Engine fills a unique niche: cross-system data integration. While it may not match the raw performance of specialized tools for their specific use cases, it excels at joining data from different systems - a problem that traditional databases cannot solve.

Key strengths:

Cross-system joins (databases, APIs, files)
Zero infrastructure requirements
Memory-efficient streaming architecture
Python-native integration
Automatic optimizations
Simple deployment

Best suited for:

Microservices data aggregation
Cross-system ETL pipelines
Real-time data integration
Memory-constrained environments
Python-native workflows

For cross-system data integration, the Streaming SQL Engine provides a unique solution that balances performance, simplicity, and flexibility.

DEV Community: Theodore P.

Streaming SQL Engine: Lightweight Cross-Data Source Integration for Resource-Constrained Environments.

Join Data from Anywhere: The Streaming SQL Engine That Bridges Databases, APIs, and Files

The Problem: Data Lives Everywhere

The Solution: Streaming SQL Engine

Example:

Why I Built This: The Problem That Needed Solving

How I Built It: Architecture and Design Decisions

Core Design Philosophy

Why Iterator-Based Architecture?

Expression Evaluation

Join Algorithm Selection

Protocol-Based Optimization

Memory Management

Performance Optimizations

Design Decisions and Trade-offs

The Result

How It Works: Streaming Architecture

Supported Data Sources

Databases

Files

APIs

Custom Sources

SQL Features

Supported Features

Not Supported

Real-World Examples

Example 1: Microservices Data Integration

Example 2: Real-Time Price Comparison

Example 3: Python Processing Between Joins

Comparison with Alternatives

vs DuckDB

vs Pandas

Are There Other Tools Like This?

What Makes Streaming SQL Engine Unique

Similar Tools (But Different)

Start Here: The Most Secure Way

Step 1: Install and Basic Setup

The Most Stable Join Option

Lookup Join (Default)

Some recommendations from the author.

Recommendation 1: Use Merge Join if Data is Sorted (Fastest + Lowest Memory)

Recommendation 2: Use MMAP Join if Data is NOT Sorted (Low Memory)

Recommendation 3: Use Polars + Optimizations for Best Throughput

Summary: Choosing the Right Configuration for 100K+ Records

Performance

Comparison Table: 100K+ Records (150K+ Joined Rows)

Key Insights for 100K+ Records

Performance Guide

By Dataset Size

Common Pitfalls

Pitfall 1: Using Polars Without Normalization

Pitfall 2: Using MMAP Without Polars (Very Slow)

Pitfall 3: Using MMAP for Small Files

Summary

Start Here (Most Secure)

Then Experiment

Conclusion