Why I Built Yet Another SQL Client (And Made It Open Source)

Source: Dev.to

The Problem

Here’s my typical workflow as a developer:

1. Need to check something in the database
2. Open SQL client
3. Wait… and wait… (why is it loading plugins?)
4. Navigate through 47 menu options to find the query window
5. Write a simple

SELECT * FROM users LIMIT 10;

6. Get results buried under toolbars, status bars, and panels I never use

Every. Single. Time.

I didn’t need an enterprise‑grade database administration tool. I needed something that:

• Opens fast – under 2 seconds, not 20
• Gets out of my way – query editor front and center
• Supports multiple databases – PostgreSQL, MySQL, and SQL Server
• Has keyboard shortcuts – Cmd+Enter to run, Cmd+K to navigate
• Looks decent – dark mode that doesn’t burn my eyes at 2 AM

The Existing Options

Pattern:

• Free tools = slow and bloated
• Fast tools = paid (and sometimes still bloated)
• Simple tools = single‑database only

I wanted all four: fast, simple, multi‑database, and free (for personal use).

Enter data‑peek

So I built it. A SQL client with a simple philosophy:

Simple over feature‑rich. Keyboard‑first. Fast to open and query.

What it looks like

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ [Connection ▾]                              [Settings] [AI] │
├──────────────┬──────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│              │                                              │
│  Schemas     │   SELECT * FROM users                        │
│  └─ public   │   WHERE created_at > '2024-01-01'            │
│     └─ users │   ORDER BY id DESC                           │
│     └─ posts │   LIMIT 100;                                 │
│     └─ ...   │                                              │
│              │   [Cmd+Enter to execute]                     │
│              ├──────────────────────────────────────────────│
│              │   id │ name  │ email          │ created_at   │
│              │   ───┼───────┼────────────────┼────────────  │
│              │   42 │ Alice │ alice@test.com │ 2024-03-15   │
│              │   41 │ Bob   │ bob@test.com   │ 2024-03-14   │
│              │                                              │
└──────────────┴──────────────────────────────────────────────┘

That’s it. Schema browser on the left, query editor on top, results on bottom.

Core Features

What’s In

• Multi‑tab query editor with Monaco (VS Code’s editor engine)
• PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server support
• Schema explorer with tables, views, columns, and stored procedures
• Query history with execution time and row counts
• Saved queries for frequently used SQL
• Data export to CSV and JSON
• Inline editing – edit rows directly in the results table
• ERD visualization – see your table relationships
• AI assistant – natural language to SQL (bring your own API key)
• Dark mode – because of course

What’s Out (Intentionally)

• Database administration tools
• User‑management UI
• Backup/restore wizards
• 47 toolbar buttons
• Plugin systems
• Startup splash screens
• Feature bloat

Why Open Source?

1. I Use Open Source Every Day

My career is built on PostgreSQL, React, TypeScript, Node.js, Linux… Giving back feels natural.

2. Trust Through Transparency

A database client handles credentials and data. Open source lets you:

• Audit the code
• See exactly how credentials are stored
• Verify there’s no telemetry or data collection
• Build from source if you’re paranoid

3. Community Makes It Better

Pull requests have already fixed bugs I didn’t know existed and added features I hadn’t thought of.

4. Sustainable Business Model

data‑peek is free for personal use. Commercial use requires a license, allowing:

• Individual developers to use it forever for free
• Companies that benefit to contribute financially
• Ongoing maintenance and improvements

The Tech Stack (Preview)

• Electron – cross‑platform desktop (macOS, Windows, Linux)
• React 19 – UI with modern hooks and concurrent features
• TypeScript – strict mode, because runtime errors are my nemesis
• Zustand – state management that doesn’t make me cry
• Monaco – the editor that powers VS Code
• Tailwind CSS 4 – styling without the CSS file chaos

What’s Next?

This is the first post in a series where I’ll share:

• The tech‑stack decisions and why I made them
• The database‑adapter pattern for multi‑DB support
• Adding AI without vendor lock‑in
• Building the ERD visualizer with collision detection
• Parsing SQL across dialects (harder than you’d think)

Try It Out

data‑peek is available now:

• GitHub:
• Downloads: macOS, Windows, Linux binaries in releases
• License: MIT (free for personal use)

If you try it, I’d love to hear your feedback. Open an issue, start a discussion, or just star the repo if you find it useful.

Next up: The Tech Stack Behind data‑peek – Modern Desktop Development in 2025