omnisql
Last updated
Last updated
omnisql is the client-side SQL console that displays query results for SQL statements you submit to the OmniSciDB Server.
After starting omnisql, you can enter SQL queries or backslash commands from the command line.
The OmniSci server has a default one hour timeout on individual HTTP requests, including those made from omnisql, when using Thrift HTTP transport. If your queries are expected to exceed the timeout, use either the default omnisql TCP transport or increase the timeout using the omnisci_web_server --timeout option.
If the connection to the server is lost, omnisql automatically attempts to reconnect.
You can use the backslash commands listed in the table below for a variety of tasks beyond SQL queries.
The commands listed below return results based on privileges granted to the current user. For example, the \d command lists only those databases to which the active omnisql user has access privileges.
Unlike SQL statements, backslash commands do not require a terminating semicolon character.
The \t, \u, and \v commands might return a long list of values. You can use a regular expression match pattern to filter the results. For example, you could use the following command to return only tables that start with the word flight.
SQL query example:
Backslash command example that describes a table:
If you frequently perform the same tasks, you can create a script and pipe it to omnisql. You can use both SQL commands and omnisql commands in your script.
For example, if you periodically upload data to the movies table, you can append rows from files named movies.csv using the following script, and display the results.
When you pipe the script to omnisql, you get results similar to the following.
Argument
Description
database
The database to connect to. Default = omnisci.
Option
Description
`--user
-u`
User name. Default = omnisci.
`--passwd
-p`
User password. Default = HyperInteractive.
--port
Port number of OmniSciDB server. Default = 6274.
`--server
-s`
OmniSciDB server hostname in DNS name or IP address. Default = localhost.
--http
Use the Thrift HTTP transport instead of the default TCP transport. Must set --port to the omnisci_web_server port. Default = 6273.
--history
omnisql saves history to $HOME/.omnisql_history by default. If you want to load and (when exiting) save to a file, use --history=<filename.txt> to control where the file is stored.
Command
Description
\c <database> <user> <password>
Connect to a database.
\clear_cpu
Clear the CPU memory. Generally, the server takes care of memory management and you would not need to use this command. If you are having unexpected memory issues, you can try clearing the CPU memory to see if performance improves.
\clear_gpu
Clear the GPU memory. Generally, the server takes care of memory management and you would not need to use this command. If you are having unexpected memory issues, you can try clearing the GPU memory to see if performance improves.
\copy <file path> <table>
Copy or append data from client-side file to table. The file is assumed to be in CSV format unless the file name ends with .tsv. OmniSci supports Latin-1 ASCII format and UTF-8. If you want to load data with another encoding (for example, UTF-16), convert the data to UTF-8 before loading it to OmniSci.
\cpu
Switch to CPU mode in the current session.
\d <table>
Describe table columns using a SQL CREATE TABLE statement.
\d <view>
Describe the results of a view SELECT statement.
\dash
List all dashboards accessible by the current user.
`\detect [parquet] {
}`
Displays the inferred schema for CSV/TSV files, or the actual schema for Parquet files. \detect does not support custom parameters. It uses default values, such as commas as the delimiter (tabs in .tsv files). This is not applicable for Parquet files.
\export_dashboard <dashboard name> <filename>
Exports a dashboard to a filepath. Files with spaces in their names should be quoted. If there is a quote within a quoted string, it should be escaped with a backslash.
\gpu
Switch to GPU mode in the current session.
\h
Help. List available backslash commands.
\historylen <number>
Set the history buffer size (default is 100).
\import_dashboard <dashboard name> <filename>
Imports a dashboard from a filepath. Files with spaces in their names should be quoted. If there is a quote within a quoted string, it should be escaped with a backslash.
\l
List databases.
\memory_summary
Print memory usage summary.
\multiline
Set multi-line command mode.
\notiming
Do not print timing information.
\o <table>
Return the optimal CREATE TABLE statement for a table, based on the size of the actual data stored.
`\object_privileges {database
table} `
Reports all privileges granted to an object for all roles and users.
`\privileges {
}`
Reports all database object privileges granted to role or user.
\q
Quit omnisql.
\role_list <username>
Reports all roles granted to user.
\roles
Reports all roles.
\singleline
Set single-line command mode.
\status
Get the status of the server and its leaf nodes.
\t [<regex>]
List tables, with optional regular expression.
\timing
Print timing information.
\u [<regex>]
List users, with optional regular expression.
\v [<regex>]
List views, with optional regular expression.
\version
Print OmniSciDB server version.