Tabulita

A lightweight, self-hosted web interface for managing SQLite databases. Written in Go, it provides a robust, CGO-free solution for inspecting and modifying SQLite files through a modern, responsive web browser interface.

Designed for simplicity and portability, Tabulita serves as both a graphical user interface and a JSON API endpoint, making it an ideal tool for embedded systems, rapid prototyping, or lightweight database administration.

Features

• Database Management: Create, rename, copy, and drop tables.
• Schema Modification: Add, rename, and remove columns dynamically.
• Data Manipulation: Full CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) support for table rows.
• Advanced Viewing: Integrated search and column sorting (ASC/DESC).
• Security: Optional HTTP Basic Authentication.
• Responsive UI: A clean interface built with Beer CSS and Material Design icons.
• Zero Dependencies: Built with modernc.org/sqlite, requiring no CGO or external C libraries. It compiles to a single static binary.

Installation

Building from Source

To build the application, clone the repository and run the provided Makefile:

git clone https://github.com/eja/tabulita.git
cd tabulita
make tabulita

This will generate the binary in the build/ directory. For a statically linked binary suitable for minimal environments, run:

make static

Usage

Start the server by pointing it to the directory containing your SQLite files:

./build/tabulita -file-path /path/to/your/databases

Command Line Arguments

Flag	Default	Description
-file-path	.	Path to the SQLite database or a directory of db files
-web-host	localhost	The interface to bind the web server to.
-web-port	35248	The port to serve the application on.
-web-path	/tabulita/	The HTTP path prefix for the interface.
-web-auth	None	Basic Auth credentials in user:password or Base64 format.
-log	false	Enable verbose logging.
-log-file	None	Path to a file for log output.

Once running, access the interface at http://localhost:35248/tabulita/.

API Documentation

Tabulita exposes a single endpoint (defaulting to /tabulita/) that accepts POST requests containing a JSON payload. The server determines the operation based on the action field.

General Response Structure

All API responses follow this format:

{
  "success": true,
  "data": { ... },
  "error": "Error message if success is false"
}

Action: list-rows

Retrieves rows from a specific table, with optional searching and sorting.

Request:

{
  "action": "list-rows",
  "table": "users",
  "start": 0,
  "stop": 19,
  "query": "search_term_optional",
  "sort_col": "username",
  "sort_dir": "ASC"
}

• start/stop: The zero-based index range for pagination.
• sort_dir: "ASC" or "DESC".

Response Data:

{
  "tableName": "users",
  "columns": [{"name": "id", "type": "INTEGER"}, ...],
  "rows": [
    { "id": "1", "values": ["1", "John Doe", "admin"] }
  ],
  "start": 0,
  "stop": 19,
  "totalRows": 154,
  "totalPages": 8
}

Table Operations

Action: list-tables

Lists all non-system tables in the database.

{ "action": "list-tables" }

Action: create-table

Creates a new table with a primary key column.

{
  "action": "create-table",
  "table": "new_table_name",
  "col_name": "id",
  "col_type": "INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT"
}

Action: rename-table

Renames an existing table.

{
  "action": "rename-table",
  "table": "old_name",
  "new_name": "new_name"
}

Action: copy-table

Creates a copy of a table (schema + data).

{
  "action": "copy-table",
  "table": "source_table",
  "new_name": "destination_table"
}

Column Operations

Action: add-column

Adds a new column to an existing table.

{
  "action": "add-column",
  "table": "users",
  "col_name": "email",
  "col_type": "TEXT",
  "is_not_null": false
}

Action: rename-column

Renames a column in a table.

{
  "action": "rename-column",
  "table": "users",
  "col_name": "old_col_name",
  "new_name": "new_col_name"
}

Action: drop-column

Removes a column from a table.

{
  "action": "drop-column",
  "table": "users",
  "col_name": "col_to_remove"
}

Row Operations

Action: add-row

{
  "action": "add-row",
  "table": "users",
  "data": {
    "username": "jdoe",
    "email": "jdoe@example.com"
  }
}

Action: edit-row

{
  "action": "edit-row",
  "table": "users",
  "rowid": "1",
  "data": {
    "email": "new_email@example.com"
  }
}

Action: delete-row

{
  "action": "delete-row",
  "table": "users",
  "rowid": "1"
}