# Basedash launch demo 3: The SQL editor

Tom Johnson · 2025-01-28

[Basedash](https://x.com/tomjohndesign/status/1884301152994427029)

The third launch-day demo was all about writing SQL, which I can't do [(0:03)](#t=3). [Basedash](https://www.tomjohn.design/content/basedash) isn't just a visualization engine, and if you'd rather write the SQL yourself, or copy in queries from other tools, it's a better experience for that too [(0:08)](#t=8). I opened the cumulative user count chart from our launch page, and full page you see the chart and the response, all the SQL it generated to edit directly, and the version history back to the initial prompts, with any version a click away from being restored [(0:24)](#t=24).

![The chart's full-page editor, with its version history beside the SQL, captioned as I say: “I can see all the version history as it stands, the initial prompts. I can roll back versions by clicking here, revert to this version.”](https://nlzkl2bo0qmd3uti.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/talks/clips/basedash-sql-editor/version-history-poHOy5NfdJrfGHzCtRYfzbbBb5Psj6.mp4 "Clip")

Everything is tracked automatically. When I changed the chart to show the average value, that went into the history, and so does changing metrics or updating the query [(0:47)](#t=47). Every run of the query is saved as a new version, and whether something changed in the SQL or through the AI chat, you can see it on the left and quickly revert it [(1:44)](#t=104).

We've also got some of the best autocomplete around: type public user and it does all the formatting for you [(1:06)](#t=66). We built it on Monaco, the same code editor VS Code uses, and it's multiplayer. My teammate Derek popped in partway through, and you can see his cursor while he edits [(1:20)](#t=80). So a teammate who's much more SQL savvy than you can come in and help, or if you're the savvy one, you can make sure someone else's edits don't break stuff.

![Derek's cursor in the SQL editor, captioned as I say: “there's Derek, he just popped in, you can see his multiplayer cursor there. So I can see him editing if you want to have a teammate who is much more SQL savvy than you come in and help.”](https://nlzkl2bo0qmd3uti.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/talks/clips/basedash-sql-editor/derek-pyL1qFDcEBstxFqrC5nIqZbHoGdWCC.mp4 "Clip")

The full schema for the database floats in the sidebar, and you can search it for any table or column, like a user's full name [(2:03)](#t=123). To add a [variable](https://www.tomjohn.design/content/basedash-variables) to the query, you just click over there [(2:18)](#t=138).

![Searching the database schema in the sidebar, captioned as I say: “Also, one of the other things we have here is we have the full schema for the database just floating here on the sidebar, if you want to search for specific tables,”](https://nlzkl2bo0qmd3uti.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/talks/clips/basedash-sql-editor/full-schema-gaDiwWGzOyzLnjRBBn2qPgW0D5j2R2.mp4 "Clip")

We wanted to give developers the rich experience they've come to expect in other tools. It's not just something for non-technical people. We want anyone in there to be able to sling SQL as well as they could in the best apps out there [(2:28)](#t=148).

When I posted it on X I wrote:

> Demo 3 - SQL Editor
>
> This thang ain't no kiddy gloves. We've got one of the most capable and powerful SQL editors out there.
>
> - Multiplayer with Liveblocks
> - Monaco editor from VSCode
> - Variables
> - Version History
> - Chat feed with bundled edits
> - Full schema with search
> - Custom autocomplete
> - Automatic chart hookups
> - Hook up any SQL Database, or query Snowflake, Bigquery, ClickHouse , or any one of our 550+ integrations.
>
> Basedash is powerful enough for devs, and easy enough for anyone.