SQL Templar 0.1 - Language-, Server-, Agnostic Template Solutions for SQL Queries

SQL Templar is template standard for SQL. It uses mustache + SQL comments to implement a lightweight and powerful template solution for SQL.

sql.templar provides a light weight, language-agnostic, implementation-agnostic method for building parameterizaed queries. It allows some minimal logic.

sqltemplar is best demonstrated by some examples.

Features

• Language agnostic (i.e. sharable by many languages)
• Backend/server agnostic.
• Light-weight
• Works for all SQL Statements: SELECT, INSERT, DELETE, REPLACE, ....
• Simple ... using it in 5min or less.
• Query reuse. Encourages query reuse and removing queries from

How it works

SQL Templar works by de/activating individual lines from otherwise valid SQL statements.

Justification

There are many situations in which SQL queries vary only slightly from various aspects of a software application. These multiple queries are supported in various ways, one

Example(s)

Some basic examples showing SQL Templar abilities:

Standard SQL is unchanged

SELECT *
FROM CUSTOMER
WHERE CUSTOMER.AGE >= 21

SQL is unchanged.

Parameter Substitition: {{expr}}

Values in {{expr}} are evaluated in the defined scope.

AGE=18

SELECT *
FROM CUSTOMER
WHERE CUSTOMER.AGE >={{AGE}}

The variable AGE is substitued. If AGE is undefined, an error is issued.

Conditional Parameter Substitution: --! :

Apply line only when variable is evaluated in the defined scope.

AGE=18 

SELECT *
FROM CUSTOMER
--! : WHERE CUSTOMER.AGE >= {{AGE}}
--! : AGE: WHERE CUSTOMER.AGE >= {{AGE}}

Special comments denoted by --!: are activated when those variables/expressions are defined. Otherwise, the SQL passes unaltered. No error is thrown.

Conditional activation: --!expr:

Only activation the line when the expr is defined. The preceeding example can also be written as this.

SELECT *
FROM CUSTOMER
--!AGE: WHERE CUSTOMER.AGE >= {{AGE}} 

Conditional activation can be based on a different variable than what is used.

customer = TRUE

SELECT *
FROM CUSTOMER
--!customer: WHERE CUSTOMER.AGE >= 18

Use conditional activation with conditional

customer = TRUE
age = 18

SELECT *
FROM CUSTOMER
--!customer: WHERE CUSTOMER.AGE >= {{age}}

JOINS Multiple Tables

SQL Templar can be used for multiple tables by using conditional logic on both the

Standards

• mustache parameters are respected
• --! : comment is uncommented if all whisker parameters are present
• --!logic:

Ports

SQL Templar has been ported to the following languages

• SQL
• R
• Python

See Also

The dplyr packages provides and automated way of building SQL -- but that SQL is generally generic and requires specific backend drivers.