External SQL

mxcli can connect to external databases (PostgreSQL, Oracle, SQL Server) for querying, schema exploration, data import, and Database Connector generation. This enables workflows like importing reference data from external systems, exploring database schemas, and auto-generating Mendix integration code.

Supported Databases

Database	Driver Names	DSN Format
PostgreSQL	`postgres`, `pg`, `postgresql`	`postgres://user:pass@host:5432/dbname`
Oracle	`oracle`, `ora`	`oracle://user:pass@host:1521/service`
SQL Server	`sqlserver`, `mssql`	`sqlserver://user:pass@host:1433?database=dbname`

Security

Credentials are isolated from session output. The DSN (which contains username and password) is never displayed in session output, logs, or error messages. Only the alias and driver name are shown.

Capabilities

Feature	Command	Description
Connect	`SQL CONNECT`	Establish a named connection
Explore	`SQL <alias> SHOW TABLES/VIEWS`	Browse database schema
Describe	`SQL <alias> DESCRIBE <table>`	View column details
Query	`SQL <alias> <any-sql>`	Run arbitrary SQL
Import	`IMPORT FROM <alias>`	Import data into Mendix app DB
Generate	`SQL <alias> GENERATE CONNECTOR`	Auto-generate Database Connector MDL
Disconnect	`SQL DISCONNECT <alias>`	Close connection

Quick Start

-- Connect to an external database
SQL CONNECT postgres 'postgres://user:pass@localhost:5432/mydb' AS source;

-- Explore the schema
SQL source SHOW TABLES;
SQL source DESCRIBE employees;

-- Query data
SQL source SELECT * FROM employees WHERE active = true LIMIT 10;

-- Import into Mendix
IMPORT FROM source QUERY 'SELECT name, email FROM employees'
  INTO HR.Employee
  MAP (name AS Name, email AS Email);

-- Generate Database Connector MDL
SQL source GENERATE CONNECTOR INTO HRModule TABLES (employees, departments) EXEC;

-- Disconnect
SQL DISCONNECT source;

CLI Subcommand

For one-off queries without the REPL:

mxcli sql --driver postgres --dsn 'postgres://user:pass@localhost:5432/mydb' "SELECT * FROM users"

SQL CONNECT – Connection syntax and driver details
Querying External Databases – Query syntax and schema exploration
IMPORT FROM – Data import pipeline
Credential Management – Environment variables and YAML config
Database Connector Generation – Auto-generating integration code

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