Recap: Building Glide apps on SQL data

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This week’s Glide Next session covered the beta launch of our SQL data sources. I was joined by @Yasin_Hassanien, who shared great demos of PostgreSQL and Google Cloud SQL.

Documentation

Q&A

How does SQL data compare/ interact with the Glide data editor. Is it separate?

  • SQL data appears in the Data editor like any other data table.

What SQL hosting provider do you recommend?

What are the settings for refresh rate of SQL database?

  • Your database is queried when you view data in the builder, or when a user views the data in the app. You can force a refresh with a Reload Query action.

Any future possibility for reading local databases?

  • Self-hosted servers should work as long as they’re properly configured and accessible on the internet. There are currently no plans to connect to servers on a local network.

Glide Tables versus SQL data sources: which should we use?

It depends on the solution you’re trying to build. Considerations:

  • Whether you already have SQL data in production.

  • What computation you need. Computations in Glide Tables happens client-side in your Glide app. Computations in SQL happens server-side. Server configuration, network speed, etc… will affect responsiveness of your SQL data.

  • SQL data sources are similar to Big Tables, e.g. you can’t build relations to computed columns, or rollups of computed columns. You can write custom SQL queries or run computations server-side to overcome those limitations.

  • You can combine SQL data sources and native Glide Tables in the same app. You can also have multiple SQL data sources connected. The right configuration for your app may be a mix of these.

Which plans are eligible for SQL?

  • The SQL beta is available for teams on an Enterprise plan. If you’d like to try SQL and aren’t on an Enterprise plan, get in touch with our team.

Have additional questions? Please drop them below!

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That custom query feature is very handy! Any chance we can implement similar for other data sources?

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Like which source do you suggest having this ?

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Here’s a summary using Claude:

  • Introductions and Agenda

    • Speaker A (Andy) welcomes everyone to the launch of SQL data sources in Glide
    • Asks attendees where they are watching from and how they pronounce “SQL”
    • Speaker B (Yasin) introduces himself as CEO of Voktech, an automation and integration company
    • Andy outlines the agenda: intros, recap of recent Glide features, overview of SQL in Glide, live demo by Yasin, and Q&A

  • Glide’s Product Roadmap

    • Andy declares 2023 the “year of power” for Glide, reviewing new features like large data sources, responsive apps, workflows, integrations, and AI
    • Adds that a long-requested feature - SQL data sources - is now in beta for enterprise teams

  • SQL Data Sources in Glide

    • Users can connect Glide to MySQL, Postgres, SQL Server, Google Cloud SQL
    • Full tables from these sources can be added as read/write data sources
    • Custom SQL queries can pull in read-only data
    • Data is queried on demand, not stored in Glide

  • Live Demo

    • Yasin walks through a real estate app example, showing SQL and Glide tables linked
    • Emphasizes ease of set up and real-time availability of SQL data in Glide
    • Discusses limitations around aggregations and computational columns
    • Recommends handling complex logic at database level

  • Q&A

    • Yasin recommends Google Cloud SQL, cites integrated ecosystem
    • For small data, use Glide tables; for larger sets or expected growth, start with SQL
    • SQL currently in beta for enterprise plans; contact Glide team if interested
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A couple of FAQs generated by Claude, can you help verifying this @NoCodeAndy .

  1. What is Glide Next?

Glide Next is a series where Glide shows what’s new and what’s coming to Glide. This is mentioned in the beginning when Andy says “welcome to Glide Next, where we’re show sharing what’s new and what’s coming to Glide”.

  1. How do you connect Glide to a SQL database?

You can set up a connection to your SQL server. Once connected, you can add SQL tables as data sources in Glide and write custom SQL queries to pull in read-only data. This is explained when Andy talks about how SQL data sources work.

  1. What SQL databases can you connect to Glide?

Currently Glide supports connecting to MySQL, Postgres, Microsoft SQL Server, and Google Cloud SQL. Andy lists these when talking about the SQL data sources now available.

  1. Is the SQL data stored in Glide?

No, the SQL data remains in your database. Glide runs queries against the database to load data into your app as needed. This is mentioned by Andy when explaining how SQL data sources work.

  1. Can you write to SQL tables from Glide?

Yes, SQL tables added as data sources can be read/write. You can add, edit and delete data in those tables from Glide. Yasin demonstrates this by adding data to a Postgres table.

  1. How do you handle refreshing read-only SQL data?

You can use the reload query action to refresh read-only SQL data for users. Yasin explains using this to refresh a read-only view table after editing data.

  1. What are some limitations with SQL data sources?

There is no real-time synchronization across users like with Glide tables. Also, you cannot currently add new columns through Glide, they must be added directly in the database. Yasin covers some limitations in his discussion.

  1. When should you use SQL versus Glide tables?

Use Glide tables for smaller datasets like dropdown options. Use SQL for large datasets you expect to grow significantly over time. Yasin provides examples of when to use each.

  1. What tools help work with SQL databases?

Tools like pgAdmin, Looker Studio, and ChatGPT can help with writing SQL queries, analyzing data, and more. Yasin demonstrates these tools.

  1. What Glide plans currently support SQL?

SQL data sources are currently in beta for enterprise plans. You can request access for other plans by contacting the Glide team. This is covered at the end when discussing availability.

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It really would be great to have access to SQL (MySQL and ProgresSQL) on the Business plan at least.

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Keep in mind we just launched the beta.

We built this data source with enterprise teams in mind, so we’re starting with there. :slight_smile:

If you’re on a Business plan and want access to SQL data sources, get in touch with the team and we can discuss options.

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@ThinhDinh - Helpful! Thanks for compiling those. :pray:

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@ThinhDinh

The summary and FAQ you generated with Claude are amazing. I noticed you have been mentioning Claude quite a bit. You’ve had better success with Claude than with MacWhisper, MacGPT and ChatGPT?

I use ChatGPT daily, mostly text to text on OpenAI’s website directly, but have never used Claude before. Thanks for the inspiration.

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@NoCodeAndy Are there any limitations with ProgresSQL tables such as computed columns. In other words, are there anything that Glide tables can do that ProgersSQL table will not be able to do?

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@Monj - The big ones are limitations on computed columns. I.e. in Glide, you can’t build relations or rollups against computed columns on a SQL data table.

The workaround @Yasin_Hassanien shared is to run more computations in SQL server-side, then work with the output of those calculations in Glide.

Another way to think about it:

  • Glide Tables live in Glide. Computations run client-side in your Glide app on the user’s device.

  • SQL data sources live in your SQL server. Glide serves query responses through your app. Some computations are best handled server-side, while others can be handled client-side.

Which approach is best?

That depends on the type of data you’re working with; where it’s already stored; the volume of data; and the type of computations you need to run in your app.

…hope that helps. :slight_smile:

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@NoCodeAndy, Thanks for that. I believe the server side makes better sense. I have a business plan and would like to test it out. You did mention to contact support about looking into getting access to the beta, correct?

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Correct.

E.g. if you’re on a Business plan but would like access to the beta, you should still get in touch with the sales team. We might be able to work something out. :+1:

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I’ve added the session Q&A to the initial post. :+1:

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I usually use Claude to analyze long-form text. Before, MacWhisper is just for getting the transcription, and then I use Claude to process it.

I wrote a new flow though, this should be much better, and faster.

@NoCodeAndy you might like this as well, if you listen to a lot of audio. DeepGram is amazing, and has an API if you want to build apps with it.

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Speakin’ my language. Thanks!

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