Read the SQL Log dock#

The SQL Log is a dock along the bottom of the workspace. It records the statements Database Client runs for you. When you sort a column, edit a cell, or alter a table, the point-and-click action becomes SQL. The SQL Log shows you exactly what ran. It is how you learn the SQL behind the buttons, and how you check what an action really did.

Select the SQL Log button in the status bar to show or hide the dock. The dock belongs to the active connection, so it shows the statements for the database you are working in. Until a connection is open, it prompts you to open one.

Read a log entry#

Each entry shows the time it ran, whether it finished OK or with an error, the statement, and how long it took. The newest entries sit at the bottom, and the list scrolls to follow them as new statements run.

Select a statement to copy it to the clipboard. You can then paste it into a SQL editor to adapt or rerun it. The toolbar can copy the whole log at once, or clear it.

How it differs from the Query Log#

The SQL Log and the Query Log sound alike but serve different needs. The SQL Log is always recording, quietly, and shows the statements Database Client generated for your actions. The Query Log is a capture you start and stop, with filtering, an execution plan, and export. On a server it reaches beyond your own connection to the whole server. Reach for the SQL Log to see what a button did, and the Query Log to investigate performance.