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sqlingo API Reference

FAQ

DescriptionCommon questions about output differences, dialect selection, tree-shaking, browser support, and SQLGlot compatibility.
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Answers to common questions that come up when using sqlingo.

Why does the output differ from the input? ​

The base dialect normalizes SQL: booleans are uppercased (true becomes TRUE), and some syntax is canonicalized. To preserve a specific dialect's conventions, pass write explicitly.

typescript
transpile("SELECT true", { read: MySQL, write: MySQL })[0];
// "SELECT TRUE"

Do I need to specify a dialect? ​

No. When read is omitted, sqlingo uses a base dialect that accepts most SQL syntax. This is fine for parsing generic SQL. When write is omitted, the output uses the same base dialect.

Specify read when your SQL uses dialect-specific syntax (like MySQL's backtick quoting or BigQuery's struct literals) that the base dialect might parse differently.

How does tree-shaking work? ​

Each dialect is a separate entry point (sqlingo/mysql, sqlingo/postgres, etc.). If you only import MySQL and Postgres, the other 30 dialects are not included in your bundle.

Is this the same as SQLGlot? ​

sqlingo is a JavaScript/TypeScript port of SQLGlot, the popular Python SQL parser by Toby Mao. The API is similar but adapted for JavaScript conventions (camelCase, class imports, etc.). The AST structure and dialect mappings mirror SQLGlot closely.

Can I use it in the browser? ​

Yes. sqlingo works in both Node.js and browsers. The package ships ESM builds. Try it in the Playground.

How large is the bundle? ​

The core parser is around 200KB minified (before gzip). Each dialect adds 10-40KB depending on complexity. Because each dialect is a separate entry point, your bundler only includes the ones you import.

How do I report a bug or request a feature? ​

Open an issue on GitHub. Include the input SQL, the expected output, and the dialect pair if applicable.