September 26, 2024: PostgreSQL 17 Released!

Announcing SQLPage: Build Dynamic Web Applications in SQL

Posted on 2023-07-12 by SQLPage
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👨‍💻 Introduction

SQLPage is a free and open-source tool for building beautiful web apps entirely in SQL.

It is a small single binary executable that runs a web server, executes .sql files on demand, and renders the results using a wide array of pre-defined web components.

❓ Why

Writing an application entirely in SQL is quite unconventional. Here is why I still think it is a great choice in some cases :

  • Database-Centric Approach: Keep your database at the heart of your application.
  • Rapid Prototyping: Validate ideas and iterate quickly towards a minimum viable product. Write a basic web app in one tenth of the time it would have taken with a frontend and a backend framework.
  • Don't repeat yourself : Model your problem domain just once: in your database. Don't repeat it across three code bases.
  • Spend your time on your core idea: Don't spend time picking colors for your buttons or choosing the right ORM for your new backend language.

Of course, if you are designing a huge application with a complex backend logic, SQLPage is not for you. But if you have an idea for a cool CRUD app that you have been postponing for months, you should try building it with SQLPage !

🔑 Key Features

  • SQL-only: Build a full web application with a nice frontend without writing a single line of HTML, CSS, of Javascript.
  • Full SQL Support: Insert, update, and delete data through an auto-generated Web UI. Write nothing but raw SQL.
  • Seamless Integration: Connect SQLPage to any existing PostgreSQL database effortlessly and start exploiting its data with a single standard .sql file.
  • Web Standards Support: Read and write HTTP cookies, manage user authentication, handle form submissions and URL parameters.
  • Fast And Secure: Written in Rust, no memory corruption, no SQL injections, no XSS.

💼 Use Cases:

Some cool things people have built with SQLPage include

  • Internal Dashboards: Empower teams with data-driven insights.
  • Small Business Intelligence Apps: Build powerful applications for analysis and exploration.
  • Admin Interfaces: Manage and interact with PostgreSQL data effectively.
  • A game: Validate and iterate on the idea swiftly.
  • A knowledge management tool: Replace an excel file for knowledge management in an enterprise.

🌐 Examples

Here are the two SQL queries that build the components list on SQLPage's official documentation website, which is itself built with SQLPage :

SELECT 'list' AS component, 'Built-In SQLPage components' AS title;

SELECT name AS title, description, icon, '?component='||name||'#component' AS link, $component = name AS active from component order by name;

Check out the website examples in the official git repository for more examples.

💡 Get Started

Explore the possibilities and limitations of SQLPage on the website builder's homepage and read the tutorial on building SQL websites.

Join the SQLPage community to discuss your PostgreSQL-powered web apps. Don't hesitate to come to the forum to discuss your thoughts and ideas !

🤝 Contributing

Be part of the open-source project and contribute to SQLPage's growth on GitHub. Come and leave us a star 🌟.

Unleash the power of SQL-driven web application development with SQLPage and elevate your PostgreSQL experience! Let's build together! 🚀