Read and change saved data

3 minute read · SQL Client

Use a table view for a quick inspection, or SQL when you need a more specific question. Both operate on the database connection you selected.

• Try a bounded read
• Edit one row and verify it
• Save useful work, not accidental secrets
• Build a query you can reuse

Try a bounded read#

For a fictional article table with id and title columns, run:

SELECT id, title FROM articles ORDER BY id LIMIT 20;

Use the SQL editor's selected-text execution when a tab contains several statements and you intend to run only one. Check the selected connection and database first. Inspect returned result sets, execution time and any truncation. A grid may display only a page of data even when the table contains more records.

For a filter, use your database's supported SQL syntax and inspect it as code. User-authored WHERE expressions are actual SQL-client input; they are not natural-language search. Avoid starting with an unbounded query on a large remote table.

Edit one row and verify it#

Select a known test row with a reliable key. Change one field through the grid, save through the offered action and read it again. Open the same record in the app and reload. If the app still shows the old value, inspect the environment, application cache and API response before changing another database.

Treat NULL separately from an empty string and the literal text “NULL”. A delete affects the selected database record; closing the result tab does not undo it. If the grid cannot identify a row safely, use a deliberate keyed statement after reviewing the target instead of guessing which record an edit will update.

Save useful work, not accidental secrets#

Save a query for reuse and use history to find earlier work. Query history can contain tokens, email addresses and other literals, so review it before exporting or sharing. Captured result links open a snapshot and do not rerun the query. Cancel tracked long-running work through the UI, then inspect the final reported state rather than assuming cancellation reversed changes already completed.

Build a query you can reuse#

Start with the columns you need and a small result limit. Add a filter for a known example record, run the selected statement and compare the result with the application's screen. Open another query session if you need to compare results without losing the first query. The table view's paging and sort controls are useful for browsing; a custom query gives you explicit control of selection and ordering.

Save a diagnostic query with a name that explains its purpose. Use history to recover an earlier query, but check its connection and literal values before running it again. Copying a cell or its SQL representation is useful for inspecting data; a copied secret should not become part of a support report.

If a query fails, distinguish a syntax error, a permission error and a disconnected session. If a write timed out, read the affected key before retrying: the database may already have committed it. A cancellation request does not prove a write was rolled back. For moving whole tables, use import/export.

Related guides: database structure, import/export.