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Documentation SurrealQL SurrealDB for SQL developers

SQL to SurrealDB mapping

Quickly learn how to map your SQL knowledge to corresponding SurrealDB concepts and syntax.

Introduction

As a multi-model database, SurrealDB offers a lot of flexibility. Our SQL-like query language SurrealQL is a good example of this, where we often have more than one way to achieve the same result, depending on developer preference. In this mapping guide, we will focus on the syntax that most closely resembles the ANSI Structured Query Language (SQL).

Concepts mapping

For more in-depth explanations of SurrealDB concepts, see the concepts page.

Relational databases SurrealDB
database database
table table
row record
column field
index index
primary key record id
transaction transaction
join record links, embedding and graph relations

Syntax mapping

Let's get you up to speed with SurrealQL syntax with some CRUD examples.

Create

As relational databases are schemafull, only the SurrealQL schemafull approach is shown below. For a schemaless option see the define table page.

For more SurrealQL examples, see the create and insert pages.

SQL SurrealQL 
CREATE TABLE person (
    person_id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
    name varchar(255)
)
// SERIAL is PosgresSQL syntax
 
DEFINE TABLE person SCHEMAFULL;
DEFINE FIELD name ON TABLE person TYPE string;
// record id field is defined by default
 
INSERT INTO person (name)
VALUES ('John'), ('Jane')
 
INSERT INTO person (name)
VALUES ('John'), ('Jane')
 
CREATE INDEX idx_name
ON person (name)
 
DEFINE INDEX idx_name 
ON TABLE person COLUMNS name

Read

For more SurrealQL examples, see the select, live select and return pages.

SQL SurrealQL 
SELECT *
FROM person
 
SELECT *
FROM person
 
SELECT name 
FROM person
 
SELECT name 
FROM person
 
SELECT name
FROM person
WHERE name = "Jane"
 
SELECT name
FROM person
WHERE name = "Jane"
 
EXPLAIN
SELECT name
FROM person
WHERE name = "Jane"
 
SELECT name
FROM person
WHERE name = "Jane"
EXPLAIN
 
SELECT count(*) AS person_count
FROM person
 
SELECT count() AS person_count
FROM person
GROUP ALL
 
SELECT DISTINCT name
FROM person
 
SELECT array::distinct(name)
FROM person
GROUP ALL
 
SELECT *
FROM person
LIMIT 10
 
SELECT *
FROM person
LIMIT 10
 
SELECT review.*,
person.name as reviewer
FROM review
INNER JOIN review.person_id = person.id
 
SELECT *,
person.name as reviewer
FROM review

Update

For more SurrealQL examples, see the update page.

SQL SurrealQL 
ALTER TABLE person
ADD last_name varchar(255)
 
DEFINE FIELD last_name
ON TABLE person TYPE string
 
UPDATE person
SET last_name = "Doe"
WHERE name = "Jane"
 
UPDATE person
SET last_name = "Doe"
WHERE name = "Jane"
 
ALTER TABLE person
DROP COLUMN last_name
 
REMOVE FIELD last_name 
ON TABLE person

Delete

For more SurrealQL examples, see the delete and remove pages.

SQL SurrealQL 
DELETE FROM person
WHERE name = "Jane"
 
DELETE person
WHERE name = "Jane"
 
DELETE FROM person
 
DELETE person
 
DROP TABLE person
 
REMOVE TABLE person