dbab.nvim

A lightweight database client for Neovim. Query databases directly from your editor.

Features

• Multi-database support: PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite
• Flexible layout: Choose from presets or define your own pane arrangement
• Schema browser: Navigate schemas, tables, and columns in sidebar
• Query editor: Write and execute SQL with syntax highlighting
• Query history: Track executed queries with timing, re-execute or load to editor
• Multiple query tabs: Work with multiple queries simultaneously
• Save queries: Store frequently used queries per connection
• Result viewer: Multiple display styles (table, json, vertical, markdown, raw) with type-aware highlighting

Layout

Classic (default)

┌─────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Sidebar (20%)       │ Query Editor (80%)                  │
├─────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────────┤
│ History (20%)       │ Result Viewer (80%)                 │
└─────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────────────┘

Wide

┌─────────────────────┬─────────────────────┬───────────────┐
│ Sidebar (33%)       │ Query Editor (34%)  │ History (33%) │
├───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                    Result Viewer (100%)                   │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Requirements

• Neovim >= 0.9.0
• Database CLI tools:
  • psql for PostgreSQL
  • mysql for MySQL/MariaDB
  • sqlite3 for SQLite
• nui.nvim
• vim-dadbod (optional: for executor = "dadbod")
• plenary.nvim (optional: for async execution)

Installation

lazy.nvim

{
  "zerochae/dbab.nvim",
  dependencies = {
    "MunifTanjim/nui.nvim",
    "nvim-lua/plenary.nvim",       -- Optional: for async execution
    "tpope/vim-dadbod",            -- Optional: for executor = "dadbod"
    "hrsh7th/nvim-cmp",            -- Optional: for autocompletion
  },
  config = function()
    require("dbab").setup({
      connections = {
        { name = "local", url = "postgres://user:pass@localhost:5432/mydb" },
        { name = "prod", url = "$DATABASE_URL" }, -- supports env vars
      },
    })
  end,
}

Autocompletion (Optional)

If you use nvim-cmp, add dbab to your sources to enable SQL autocompletion (tables, columns, keywords):

require("cmp").setup({
  sources = {
    { name = "dbab" },
    -- other sources...
  },
})

Usage

Commands

Command	Description
:Dbab	Open dbab sidebar
:DbabClose	Close dbab

Sidebar Keymaps

Key	Action
<CR> / o	Toggle node / Open query
<Tab>	Move to editor
S	Select table (SELECT *)
i	Insert table (INSERT template)
d	Delete saved query
q	Close

Editor Keymaps

Key	Action
<CR>	Execute query
<C-s>	Save query
gt / gT	Next / Previous tab
<Leader>w	Close tab
<Tab>	Move to result
q	Close

History Keymaps

Key	Action
<CR>	Load or execute query (based on config)
R	Re-execute query immediately
y	Copy query to clipboard
d	Delete entry
C	Clear all history
<Tab>	Move to sidebar
<S-Tab>	Move to result
q	Close

Result Keymaps

Key	Action
y	Yank current row as JSON
Y	Yank all rows as JSON
<Tab>	Move to sidebar
<S-Tab>	Move to editor
q	Close

Screenshots

Schema Browser

Query Result with Type Highlighting

Query History

Configuration

require("dbab").setup({
  connections = {
    { name = "local", url = "postgres://localhost/mydb" },
  },
  executor = "cli",    -- "cli" (self-contained) | "dadbod" (requires vim-dadbod)
  layout = "classic",  -- "classic" | "wide" | custom layout table
  sidebar = {
    width = 0.2,
    use_brand_icon = false,   -- true: per-DB icons, false: generic db icon
    use_brand_color = false,  -- true: per-DB brand colors, false: single color (Number)
    show_brand_name = false,  -- true: show [postgres] label, false: icon + name only
    show_system_schemas = true,
  },
  editor = {
    show_tabbar = true,       -- show tab bar above editor
  },
  result = {
    max_width = 120,
    max_height = 20,
    show_line_number = true,
    header_align = "fit",     -- "fit" or "full"
    style = "table",          -- "table", "json", "raw", "vertical", "markdown"
  },
  history = {
    width = 0.2,
    style = "compact",        -- "compact" or "detailed"
    max_entries = 100,
    on_select = "execute",    -- "execute" or "load"
    persist = true,
    filter_by_connection = true,
    query_display = "auto",   -- "short", "full", or "auto"
    short_hints = { "where", "join", "order", "group", "limit" },
  },
  keymaps = {
    open = "<Leader>db",
    execute = "<CR>",
    close = "q",
    sidebar = {
      toggle_expand = { "<CR>", "o" },
      refresh = "R",
      rename = "r",
      new_query = "n",
      copy_name = "y",
      insert_template = "i",
      delete = "d",
      copy_query = "c",
      paste_query = "p",
      to_editor = "<Tab>",
      to_history = "<S-Tab>",
    },
    history = {
      select = "<CR>",
      execute = "R",
      copy = "y",
      delete = "d",
      clear = "C",
      to_sidebar = "<Tab>",
      to_result = "<S-Tab>",
    },
    editor = {
      execute_insert = "<C-CR>",
      execute_leader = "<Leader>r",
      save = "<C-s>",
      next_tab = "gt",
      prev_tab = "gT",
      close_tab = "<Leader>w",
      to_result = "<Tab>",
      to_sidebar = "<S-Tab>",
    },
    result = {
      yank_row = "y",
      yank_all = "Y",
      to_sidebar = "<Tab>",
      to_editor = "<S-Tab>",
    },
  },
  highlights = {
    -- Override any Dbab highlight group
    -- DbabHeader = { bg = "#ff6600", fg = "#000000" },
  },
})

Layout Presets

Preset	Description
"classic"	4-pane layout (sidebar 20%, history 20%)
"wide"	3-column top + full-width bottom (sidebar 33%, history 33%)

Custom Layout

Define your own pane arrangement:

-- No history panel
layout = {
  { "sidebar", "editor" },
  { "result" },
}

-- Editor on the left
layout = {
  { "editor", "sidebar" },
  { "result", "history" },
}

Components: "sidebar", "editor", "history", "result" (editor and result are required)

Result Styles

Configure with result.style:

Style	Description
"table"	Table with zebra striping and type-aware highlighting (default)
"json"	JSON format with Treesitter syntax highlighting
"vertical"	One record per block, column names on the left (like psql \x)
"markdown"	Markdown table with Treesitter syntax highlighting
"raw"	Unprocessed CLI output

result = {
  style = "vertical",
},

table

raw

json

vertical

markdown

History Styles

Configure with history.style:

Style	Description
"compact"	One line per entry with verb, target, hints (default)
"detailed"	Multi-line: full query with syntax highlighting + metadata below

history = {
  style = "detailed",
},

Sidebar Display Options

Control how database connections appear in the sidebar:

sidebar = {
  use_brand_icon = false,   -- default
  use_brand_color = false,  -- default
  show_brand_name = false,  -- default
},

Option	false (default)	true
use_brand_icon	Generic DB icon for all connections	Per-DB brand icons (PostgreSQL, MySQL, etc.)
use_brand_color	Single color (Number highlight)	Per-DB brand colors (blue, red, green, etc.)
show_brand_name	icon my_db	icon [postgres] my_db

Highlight Groups

All highlight groups can be overridden by defining them before setup(). Groups marked with (computed) are always recalculated based on your colorscheme.

Result

Group	Default	Description
DbabRowOdd	(computed)	Odd row background
DbabRowEven	(computed)	Even row background
DbabHeader	(computed)	Result header (from Function fg)
DbabSeparator	Comment	Result separator lines
DbabCellActive	CursorLine	Active cell

Window

Group	Default	Description
DbabFloat	NormalFloat	Float window background
DbabBorder	WinSeparator	Window border
DbabTitle	Title	Window title

Data Types

Group	Default	Description
DbabNull	Comment	NULL values
DbabNumber	Number	Numeric values
DbabString	Normal	String values
DbabBoolean	Boolean	Boolean values
DbabDateTime	Special	Date/time values
DbabUuid	Constant	UUID values
DbabJson	Function	JSON values

Schema

Group	Default	Description
DbabTable	Type	Table names
DbabKey	Keyword	Key names
DbabPK	ErrorMsg	Primary key (bold)
DbabFK	Function	Foreign key (bold)

Sidebar

Group	Default	Description
DbabIconDb	Number	Default DB icon color (use_brand_color = false)
DbabIconPostgres	fg=#4169E1	PostgreSQL brand color (bold)
DbabIconMysql	fg=#4479A1	MySQL brand color (bold)
DbabIconMariadb	fg=#003545	MariaDB brand color (bold)
DbabIconSqlite	fg=#003B57	SQLite brand color (bold)
DbabIconRedis	fg=#FF4438	Redis brand color (bold)
DbabIconMongodb	fg=#47A248	MongoDB brand color (bold)
DbabSidebarIconConnection	Number	Connection icon
DbabSidebarIconActive	String	Active connection icon
DbabSidebarIconNewQuery	Function	New query icon
DbabSidebarIconBuffers	Function	Buffers icon
DbabSidebarIconSaved	Keyword	Saved queries icon
DbabSidebarIconSchemas	Special	Schemas icon
DbabSidebarIconSchema	Type	Schema icon
DbabSidebarIconTable	Type	Table icon
DbabSidebarIconColumn	Function	Column icon
DbabSidebarIconPK	ErrorMsg	Primary key icon
DbabSidebarText	Normal	Default text
DbabSidebarTextActive	String	Active item text (bold)
DbabSidebarType	Comment	Type annotation

History

Group	Default	Description
DbabHistoryHeader	Title	Section header (bold)
DbabHistoryRowOdd	(computed)	Odd row background
DbabHistoryRowEven	(computed)	Even row background
DbabHistoryTime	Comment	Timestamp
DbabHistoryVerb	Keyword	SQL verb
DbabHistoryTarget	Type	Target table name
DbabHistoryDuration	Number	Execution duration
DbabHistoryConnName	Normal	Connection name
DbabHistorySelect	Function	SELECT queries
DbabHistoryInsert	String	INSERT queries
DbabHistoryUpdate	Type	UPDATE queries
DbabHistoryDelete	ErrorMsg	DELETE queries
DbabHistoryCreate	String	CREATE statements
DbabHistoryDrop	ErrorMsg	DROP statements
DbabHistoryAlter	Special	ALTER statements
DbabHistoryTruncate	WarningMsg	TRUNCATE statements

Hint badges (compact mode):

Group	Default	Description
DbabHistoryHintWhere	WarningMsg	WHERE clause
DbabHistoryHintJoin	Special	JOIN clause
DbabHistoryHintOrder	Keyword	ORDER BY
DbabHistoryHintGroup	Type	GROUP BY
DbabHistoryHintLimit	Number	LIMIT

Tab Bar

Group	Default	Description
DbabTabActive	bg=#3a3a4a	Active tab (bold)
DbabTabActiveIcon	bg=#3a3a4a fg=#a6e3a1	Active tab icon
DbabTabInactive	Comment	Inactive tab
DbabTabInactiveIcon	Comment	Inactive tab icon
DbabTabModified	WarningMsg	Modified indicator
DbabTabIconSaved	String	Saved query icon
DbabTabIconUnsaved	Function	Unsaved query icon
DbabTabbarBg	Normal	Tab bar background

Customization

Override highlights via setup():

require("dbab").setup({
  highlights = {
    DbabHeader = { bg = "#ff6600", fg = "#000000" },
    DbabNull = { fg = "#555555", italic = true },
  },
})

Connection URL Format

postgres://user:password@host:port/database
mysql://user:password@host:port/database
mariadb://user:password@host:port/database
sqlite:///path/to/database.db

Environment variables are supported: $DATABASE_URL or ${DATABASE_URL}

Acknowledgements

This project was inspired by excellent existing plugins:

• vim-dadbod-ui: The classic DB UI for Vim/Neovim.
• nvim-dbee: A modern approach to DB client in Neovim.

dbab.nvim aims to provide a lightweight, self-contained alternative with a modern Lua-based UI. It can optionally integrate with vim-dadbod via executor = "dadbod".

License

MIT