duckdb Command Examples

Command-line client for DuckDB, an in-process analytical SQL engine. More information: https://duckdb.org.

• Start an interactive shell with a transient in-memory database:

duckdb

• Start an interactive shell on a database file. If the file does not exist, a new database is created:

duckdb {{path/to/dbfile}}

• Directly query a CSV, JSON, or Parquet file:

duckdb -c "{{SELECT * FROM 'data_source.[csv|csv.gz|json|json.gz|parquet]'}}"

• Run an SQL script:

duckdb -c ".read {{path/to/script.sql}}"

• Run query on database file and keep the interactive shell open:

duckdb {{path/to/dbfile}} -cmd "{{SELECT DISTINCT * FROM tbl}}"

• Run SQL queries in file on database and keep the interactive shell open:

duckdb {{path/to/dbfile}} -init {{path/to/script.sql}}

• Read CSV from stdin and write CSV to stdout:

cat {{path/to/source.csv}} | duckdb -c "{{COPY (FROM read_csv('/dev/stdin')) TO '/dev/stdout' WITH (FORMAT CSV, HEADER)}}"

• Display help:

duckdb -help