←back to thread

Show HN: Base, an SQLite database editor for macOS

(menial.co.uk)
676 points __bb | 6 comments | 25 Aug 25 14:17 UTC | HN request time: 0.219s | source | bottom

I recently released v3 of Base, my SQLite editor for macOS.

The goal of this app is to provide a comfortable native GUI for SQLite, without it turning into a massive IDE-style app.

The coolest features are

- That it can handle full altering of tables, which is quite finicky to do manually with SQLite.

- It has a more detailed display of column constraints than most editors. Each constraint is shown as an icon if active, with full details available on clicking the icon.

This update also adds support for attaching databases, which is a bit fiddly with macOS sandboxing.

I'd love to hear any feedback or answer any questions.

Show context
Alifatisk ◴[25 Aug 25 15:07 UTC] No.45014693[source]▶
Been looking for something like this, I also wish there was a way for multiple users to collaborate and interact with the same database.

Think like MySql Workbench but for multiple users, that would be incredible

replies(1): >>45014753 #
1. jen20 ◴[25 Aug 25 15:13 UTC] No.45014753[source]▶
That is a limitation of SQLite no?
replies(2): >>45015663 #>>45015933 #
2. breadwinner ◴[25 Aug 25 16:31 UTC] No.45015663[source]▶
Yes and no. SQLite can handle a small number of users. It locks the entire database while writing to it, so it can't support a large number of concurrent users.
replies(2): >>45016872 #>>45022956 #
3. Alifatisk ◴[25 Aug 25 16:54 UTC] No.45015933[source]▶
I am thinking of an application where multiple users can interactive with the workbench BUT the workbench performs its actions against the database as one user. That way, it could consolidate the connections into a single one
replies(1): >>45016628 #
4. jen20 ◴[25 Aug 25 17:50 UTC] No.45016628[source]▶
In other words, a database server around Sqlite? That seems like the kind of thing that should exist!
5. __bb ◴[25 Aug 25 18:07 UTC] No.45016872[source]▶
I realise you’ve hinted at it, but also think it’s worth explicitly pointing out that it’s more about the number of users writing than just user count. It can handle concurrent readers with little bother.

For those who’ve not seen it already, there’s a good guide on when to use SQLite here: https://sqlite.org/whentouse.html

6. dnet ◴[26 Aug 25 06:27 UTC] No.45022956[source]▶
While the default is indeed to lock the entire database, it has been an option for 15 years to avoid this: https://www.sqlite.org/wal.html