SQL Guide

Beacon uses Apache DataFusion as its query engine. It gives you a broad standard SQL dialect with SELECT, WHERE, GROUP BY, JOIN, ORDER BY, window functions and more. Every transport below speaks the same dialect.

Run SQL

Interface	How
HTTP API (server)	POST /api/query with { "sql": "..." }. The SQL interface is on by default.
Arrow Flight SQL (server)	Any Flight SQL client, such as DataGrip, ADBC or DBeaver. It is on by default.

What you can query

Registered tables: any external table or view:

SELECT * FROM ocean_profiles LIMIT 100

Files on demand: use a table function. You register no table:

SELECT * FROM read_netcdf(['argo/**/*.nc']) LIMIT 100

Reference

• Query: SELECT · WHERE · GROUP BY · JOIN · UNION BY NAME
• Tables and views: CREATE TABLE · CREATE VIEW · CREATE MATERIALIZED VIEW · Managed tables · Remote tables and ATTACH
• Functions: Table functions · Utility table functions · Function reference · Spatial functions
• Secrets and profiles: CREATE SECRET · SUMMARIZE

Friendly SQL. Beacon also supports these DataFusion extensions: SELECT * EXCLUDE (col), REPLACE (…), GROUP BY ALL, QUALIFY, UNION BY NAME, FROM first (FROM t SELECT …), DESCRIBE, SHOW TABLES, SHOW COLUMNS, list literals and trailing commas.