SQLPage

SQLPage is a pure‑SQL web application framework that turns ordinary database queries into fully‑featured, interactive websites. By writing a handful of .sql files that declare UI components—lists, charts, forms, tabs, cards, and more—the framework automatically generates the corresponding HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. The only runtime dependency is a database driver; SQLPage itself contains no embedded web server code, making it ideal for deployment behind existing reverse proxies or API gateways. This model gives developers tight control over data access, caching, and authentication while keeping the UI logic declarative and database‑centric.

Key Features

• Component‑Driven SQL – Each UI element is represented by a SELECT statement that returns rows with a special component column. The framework interprets these rows to render the appropriate widget, allowing developers to compose complex dashboards with simple SQL.
• Extensive Data Sources – Native support for SQLite, PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, and any ODBC‑compatible database (e.g., ClickHouse, MongoDB, Snowflake). This flexibility lets teams keep their existing data stacks intact.
• Dynamic Forms & CRUD – Form components are defined by a schema query; form submissions trigger INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE statements that can reference request parameters ($first_name) directly in SQL. Validation and error handling are built into the query language.
• Responsive UI & Client‑Side Caching – Generated pages are lightweight, leveraging vanilla JavaScript for interactivity. The framework automatically caches query results per session and supports incremental updates via WebSocket or SSE for real‑time dashboards.

Technical Stack & Architecture

• Core Language – The entire application is written in Go, compiled to a single statically‑linked binary. This choice yields fast startup times and minimal runtime footprint.
• Template Engine – SQLPage uses a custom templating layer that parses the SELECT output into JSON, then renders components with pre‑bundled CSS/JS. No external templating libraries are required.
• Database Connectivity – The framework supports both native drivers (e.g., libpq, go-sql-driver/mysql) and ODBC via the github.com/alexbrainman/odbc package. Connection pooling is handled by Go’s database/sql package.
• Routing & Middleware – A minimal HTTP router (net/http) exposes endpoints per SQL file. Developers can wrap the handler with standard Go middleware for authentication, rate‑limiting, or custom logging.

Deployment & Infrastructure

SQLPage is container‑ready; a Dockerfile ships with the binary, exposing port 80. It scales horizontally behind any load balancer—stateless instances share a common database, so adding replicas is as simple as running more containers. For environments that require persistent state (e.g., SQLite), the framework supports mounting a volume for the database file. Kubernetes manifests are available in the repository, enabling rolling updates and autoscaling based on CPU or request metrics.

Integration & Extensibility

• Webhooks & APIs – Each form submission can trigger external HTTP requests via the sqlpage.send_http function, enabling integration with third‑party services (e.g., Slack notifications, payment gateways).
• Custom Functions – Developers can extend SQLPage by adding Go‑based plugins that expose new functions to the SQL context. The plugin system is optional; most use cases are satisfied by built‑in helpers like sqlpage.read_file_as_text.
• Theme & Styling – CSS variables and a small set of default styles can be overridden by including custom stylesheet files in the project directory. This allows brand‑specific theming without touching Go code.

Developer Experience

The learning curve is intentionally shallow: a developer proficient in SQL can prototype an entire dashboard within a day. Documentation is organized around example queries and component syntax, with inline comments explaining each column’s purpose (component, title, link). The community is active on GitHub Discussions and Discord, providing quick support for schema design or performance tuning. Licensing is MIT, so teams can modify the binary or source code without restrictions.

Use Cases

• Internal Ops Dashboards – Quickly expose production metrics, log aggregates, or inventory status to non‑technical stakeholders.
• Customer Portals – Build secure CRUD interfaces for customer data, order histories, or support tickets without writing backend APIs.
• Data Exploration Tools – Provide analysts with interactive charts and tables that query live data, eliminating the need for separate BI tools.
• Rapid Prototyping – Validate new business logic by spinning up a temporary SQLPage instance that serves as a front‑end for a fresh database schema.

Advantages Over Alternatives

• Zero Runtime Dependencies – Unlike Node or Python frameworks, SQLPage requires only a database connection and Go runtime, reducing attack surface.
• Native Performance – Query execution is delegated to the database engine; no ORM overhead or query translation layers.
• Declarative UI – The component‑based SQL syntax eliminates boilerplate, letting developers focus on data rather than UI code.
• License & Openness – MIT license and open‑source core mean no vendor lock‑in, unlike proprietary low‑code platforms.

In summary, SQLPage offers a lightweight, high‑performance path from database to web UI that aligns closely with developers’ existing SQL skill set while delivering a rich, interactive experience.