# sscli
SQL Server CLI for AI coding agents.
One install. Your agents automatically know how to inspect SQL Server databases, run safe queries, and export results.
## Why sscli?
| **Token-efficient** | Markdown output by default keeps agent context lean |
| **Read-only default** | Blocks INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE unless overridden (--allow-write) — no accidents |
| **Single binary** | Fast startup, no runtime dependencies |
| **CLI over MCP** | No "tool bloat" from verbose tool descriptions for tools that are rarely used |
| **Progressive disclosure** | Core commands visible, advanced disclosed when needed |
## Why not sqlcmd
`sqlcmd` is a great general-purpose SQL Server client, especially for interactive sessions and ad-hoc work.
For tool-calling agents, `sqlcmd` tends to be a poor fit because it's optimized for humans, not for
structured, repeatable automation:
- **Output is hard to consume**: `sqlcmd` output is human-oriented text; agents usually want stable
markdown tables or a single JSON object they can reliably parse.
- **Schema discovery is manual**: you end up writing catalog queries (`sys.tables`, `INFORMATION_SCHEMA`, etc.)
instead of calling purpose-built primitives like `sscli tables`, `sscli describe`, and `sscli columns`.
- **No safety guardrails**: `sqlcmd` will happily run destructive statements if an agent makes a mistake.
`sscli sql` blocks writes by default and requires `--allow-write` for mutations.
- **More setup friction**: `sqlcmd` is typically installed via Microsoft tooling and may require ODBC drivers
depending on platform/CI image; sscli is a single binary with config + env var discovery built in.
- **No agent integration**: sscli can install a reusable skill/extension so agents "know the tool" without you
pasting usage docs into every prompt.
Keep `sqlcmd` for interactive SQL. Reach for sscli when you want safe-by-default queries, fast schema
inspection, and output formats that are easy for agents to use.
## Quick Start (Agent Users)
**1. Install sscli**
```bash
# macOS/Linux
brew install jwcraig/tap/sscli
# Windows (PowerShell)
scoop bucket add jwcraig https://github.com/jwcraig/scoop-bucket
scoop install sscli
# or with cargo (any platform)
cargo install sscli
```
**2. Teach your agents**
```bash
sscli integrations skills add --global # Claude Code + Codex
sscli integrations gemini add --global # Gemini CLI
```
**Done.** Your agents now know how to browse schemas, run safe queries, and export results.
### What changes?
| You paste schema context into prompts | Agent discovers schema on demand |
| Agent guesses at SQL Server commands | Agent knows `sscli tables`, `sscli describe <Object>`, etc. |
| Risk of accidental writes | Read-only by default, explicit `--allow-write` override |
| Verbose output bloats context | Token-efficient markdown output by default, --json if needed |
## Manual Usage
For humans who want to use sscli directly.
### 1-minute setup (first run)
```bash
# Create a starter config in ./.sql-server/config.yaml (safe defaults)
sscli init
# Set the password env var referenced by passwordEnv in your config. sscli also reads
export SQL_PASSWORD='...'
# Sanity-check connectivity + server metadata
sscli status
# See the effective settings + which config file was used
sscli config
```
### Common commands
```bash
sscli status # Check connectivity
sscli tables # List tables
sscli tables --like "%User%" --describe # Describe all User-related tables
sscli describe Users # DDL, columns, indexes, triggers
sscli describe T_Users_Trig # Trigger definition (auto-detected)
sscli sql "SELECT TOP 5 * FROM Users"
sscli sql --file [path/to/file] # Run long queries, execute bulk statements
sscli update # Check for new releases (alias: sscli upgrade)
```
## Installation
### Homebrew (macOS/Linux)
```bash
brew install jwcraig/tap/sscli
```
### Scoop (Windows)
```powershell
scoop bucket add jwcraig https://github.com/jwcraig/scoop-bucket
scoop install sscli
```
### Quick install script
```bash
### Cargo binstall (fast, no compilation)
```bash
cargo binstall sscli
```
### From source
```bash
cargo install sscli
```
### Prebuilt binaries
Download from [GitHub Releases](https://github.com/jwcraig/sql-server-cli/releases).
### Development build
```bash
git clone https://github.com/jwcraig/sql-server-cli sscli
cd sscli
cargo build --release
./target/release/sscli --help
```
### Updating
```bash
# Check if you're up to date (alias: `sscli upgrade`)
sscli update
# Homebrew
brew upgrade sscli
# Cargo
cargo install sscli --force
```
### Automatic update notifications (optional)
By default, sscli does **not** check for updates automatically.
To enable lightweight update notifications (stderr, TTY-only, cached), create:
- `~/.config/sscli/settings.json` (Linux/XDG default)
- macOS often uses `~/Library/Application Support/sscli/settings.json` by default
Example `settings.json`:
```json
{ "autoUpdate": true }
```
## Agent Integration
### Supported agents
| Claude Code | `sscli integrations skills add --global` | `~/.claude/skills/sscli/SKILL.md` |
| Codex | (same command) | `~/.codex/skills/sscli/SKILL.md` |
| Gemini CLI | `sscli integrations gemini add --global` | `~/.gemini/extensions/sscli/` |
| Other agent harnesses | Via [OpenSkills](https://github.com/numman-ali/openskills) | Bridge to installed skills |
### Per-project vs global
| `--global` | `~/.claude/skills/` | Available in all projects |
| (none) | `./.claude/skills/` | Project-specific override |
### What the skill teaches agents
The installed skill file tells agents:
- When to use sscli (database inspection, schema discovery, safe queries)
- Available commands and their purpose
- Output preferences (markdown for context efficiency, `--json` for structured data)
- Safety model (read-only default, `--allow-write` for mutations)
## Configuration
sscli supports three ways to configure a connection (highest priority wins):
```bash
# 1) CLI flags (one-off / scripts)
sscli status --server localhost --database master --user sa --password '...'
# 2) Environment variables (CI-friendly)
export SQL_SERVER=localhost SQL_DATABASE=master SQL_USER=sa SQL_PASSWORD='...'
sscli status
# 3) Config file (recommended for repeated use)
sscli init && export SQL_PASSWORD='...' && sscli status
```
### Creating a config file
Generate a commented template (writes `./.sql-server/config.yaml` by default):
```bash
sscli init
```
Or copy the example file in this repo:
```bash
mkdir -p .sql-server
cp config.example.yaml .sql-server/config.yaml
```
### Config discovery (where sscli looks)
1. `--config <PATH>`
2. `SQL_SERVER_CONFIG` / `SQLSERVER_CONFIG`
3. Walk up from CWD looking for `.sql-server/config.{yaml,yml,json}` or `.sqlserver/config.{yaml,yml,json}`
4. Global config: `$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/sql-server/config.{yaml,yml,json}` (platform-dependent)
5. Environment variables
6. Hardcoded defaults
Run `sscli config` to confirm which config file is being used and what values are in effect.
### Example `config.yaml`
```yaml
defaultProfile: default
profiles:
default:
server: localhost
port: 1433
database: master
user: sa
passwordEnv: SQL_PASSWORD
encrypt: true
trustCert: true
```
For a fully commented example (including `settings.output.*`, `timeout`, and `defaultSchemas`), see `config.example.yaml`.
### Environment variables
Environment variables override values from the config file.
**`.env` file support:** sscli automatically loads a `.env` file from the current directory if present, reading any of the supported variables listed below. Use `--env-file` to load a different file (e.g., `--env-file .env.dev`). This is useful for local development without polluting your shell environment.
| Config path | `SQL_SERVER_CONFIG`, `SQLSERVER_CONFIG` |
| Profile | `SQL_SERVER_PROFILE`, `SQLSERVER_PROFILE` |
| Connection URL | `DATABASE_URL`, `DB_URL`, `SQLSERVER_URL` |
| Server | `SQL_SERVER`, `SQLSERVER_HOST`, `DB_HOST`, `MSSQL_HOST` |
| Port | `SQL_PORT`, `SQLSERVER_PORT`, `DB_PORT`, `MSSQL_PORT` |
| Database | `SQL_DATABASE`, `SQLSERVER_DB`, `DATABASE`, `DB_NAME`, `MSSQL_DATABASE` |
| User | `SQL_USER`, `SQLSERVER_USER`, `DB_USER`, `MSSQL_USER` |
| Password | `SQL_PASSWORD`, `SA_PASSWORD`, `MSSQL_SA_PASSWORD`, `SQLSERVER_PASSWORD`, `DB_PASSWORD`, `MSSQL_PASSWORD` |
| Encrypt | `SQL_ENCRYPT` |
| Trust server certificate | `SQL_TRUST_SERVER_CERTIFICATE` |
| Connect timeout (ms) | `SQL_CONNECT_TIMEOUT`, `DB_CONNECT_TIMEOUT` |
**sqlcmd compatibility:** The following `sqlcmd` environment variables are also supported:
| Server | `SQLCMDSERVER` |
| User | `SQLCMDUSER` |
| Password | `SQLCMDPASSWORD` |
| Database | `SQLCMDDBNAME` |
## Commands
**Core** (shown in `--help`):
| `status` | Connectivity check |
| `databases` | List databases |
| `tables` | Browse tables and views (`--describe` for batch DDL) |
| `describe` | Any object: table, view, trigger, proc, function |
| `sql` | Execute read-only SQL |
| `table-data` | Sample rows from a table |
| `columns` | Find columns across tables |
**Advanced** (shown in `help --all`):
| `indexes` | Index details with usage stats |
| `foreign-keys` | Table relationships |
| `stored-procs` | List and execute read-only procedures |
| `sessions` | Active database sessions |
| `query-stats` | Top cached queries by resource usage |
| `backups` | Recent backup history |
| `integrations` | Install agent skills/extensions |
## Output Formats
| Terminal (TTY) | Pretty tables |
| Piped / non-TTY | Markdown tables |
| `--json` flag | Stable JSON (v1 contract) |
| `--csv <file>` | CSV export |
JSON output emits exactly one object to stdout. Errors go to stderr.
## Safety
`sscli sql` enforces read-only mode by default:
- **Allowed:** SELECT, WITH (CTEs), whitelisted stored procedures
- **Blocked:** INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, DROP, ALTER, TRUNCATE, MERGE, etc.
Override with `--allow-write` when you intentionally need mutations.
## JSON Contract (v1)
Each command returns a stable top-level object:
| `status` | `{ status, latencyMs, serverName, serverVersion, currentDatabase, timestamp, warnings }` |
| `databases` | `{ total, count, offset, limit, hasMore, nextOffset, databases: [...] }` |
| `tables` | `{ total, count, offset, limit, hasMore, nextOffset, tables: [...] }` |
| `describe` | `{ object: {schema, name, type}, columns, ddl?, indexes?, triggers?, foreignKeys?, constraints? }` |
| `table-data` | `{ table, columns, rows, total, offset, limit, hasMore, nextOffset }` |
| `sql` | `{ success, batches, resultSets, csvPaths? }` |
Errors (stderr):
```json
## Testing
```bash
cargo test
```
DB-backed integration tests (opt-in):
```bash
SSCLI_INTEGRATION_TESTS=1 SQL_SERVER_CONFIG=/path/to/config.yaml \
SQL_PASSWORD=... cargo test
```