ob-sql-mode

ob-sql-mode is an alternative backend for Org-Babel SQL SRC blocks that uses sql-mode to evaluate the query instead of Org-Babel's built-in SQL backends.

The practical upshot of this is that you can use any backend that sql-mode supports, not just the ones that Org-Babel supports.

Also, unlike the sql backend, ob-sql-mode supports multiple different sessions within the same Org document.

Some familiarity with sql-mode is assumed.

Installation

ob-sql-mode is available on MELPA. If you are not already using MELPA, add this to your .emacs (or equivalent):

(require 'package)
(add-to-list 'package-archives
             '("melpa" . "https://melpa.org/packages/"))
(package-initialize)

and then evaluate that code.

You can then install ob-sql-mode with the following command:

M-x package-install [RET] ob-sql-mode [RET]

or by adding the following to your .emacs:

(unless (package-installed-p 'ob-sql-mode)
  (package-install 'ob-sql-mode))

or by using use-package:

(use-package ob-sql-mode
  :ensure t)

After installing, enable with:

(require 'ob-sql-mode)

To guard against security risks, Org defaults to prompting for confirmation every time you evaluate a code block (see Code evaluation and security issues for details). To disable this for ob-sql-mode blocks you can enter and evaluate the following.

(setq org-confirm-babel-evaluate
      (lambda (lang body)
        (not (string= lang "sql-mode"))))

Usage

Enter an Org SRC block that specifies sql-mode. For example:

#+BEGIN_SRC sql-mode
SELECT 1, 2, 3;
#+END_SRC

Then place the point within the block and press C-c C-c to evaluate it and have the results inserted in to the document.

Tip: To avoid writing this in full each time you can type <Q [TAB] to insert a pre-filled template (to use a key other than Q customize org-babel-sql-mode-template-selector).

Although all the statements in the block will be executed only the the results from executing the final statement will be returned.

Add a :product header argument to set the product to use. For example:

#+BEGIN_SRC sql-mode :product oracle
SELECT COUNT(*) FROM emp;
#+END_SRC

The product must be known to sql-mode (i.e., it must be in sql-product-alist).

All blocks that use the same product run in the same session. To change this add a :session header argument with a name for the session. Blocks that share a session name will be run in the same session.

Per Using header arguments in the Org manual you can set these on a per-file level with the following syntax:

#+PROPERTY: header-args:sql-mode :product sqlite
#+PROPERTY: header-args:sql-mode+ :session session-name

Or you can apply them to all blocks below a particular heading by adding a properties drawer to the heading with the following syntax:

** TODO Perform some queries to investigate some data
:PROPERTIES:
:header-args:sql-mode :product sqlite
:header-args:sql-mode+ :session session-name
:END:

#+BEGIN_SRC sql-mode
-- No :product or :session specified here, so the values from the
-- PROPERTIES drawer are used.
SELECT 1, 2, 3
#+END_SRC

To change the default product globally, customize org-babel-default-header-args:sql-mode.

See header commentary in the code for implementation notes and other options.

License

GPLv3, see the LICENSE file in the repository and the copyright statement in the code for further information.