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Ad-hoc online SQL Query Builder

Active Query Builder Web API can help you implement a full-featured interactive user interface to browse massive data sets while passing a minimum amount of data to the client.

Enable your end-users to sort, filter and browse paginated data returned in response to an arbitrary SQL query, while performing all data manipulations on the server side using SQL queries modified with Active Query Builder Web API.

The Web client for Active Query Builder API is based on jQuery and can be integrated into any web page with just a few lines of code. It’s compatible with any server-side language and technology. It allows you to use any visual controls to display data (grids, forms, etc.).

An API to create and analyze SQL queries on the server side

Make changes to SQL queries written for any database server seamlessly for the end-user.

Active Query Builder lets you analyze users’ SQL queries and make changes to them to prevent access to unwanted data. It also lets you create new SELECT SQL queries from scratch, which allows you to switch from one database server to another just by changing the target SQL server in your application settings.

faq

  • Q:
    I use "XYZ" database server that has a quite specific SQL syntax. Can your API generate correct SQL queries for it?
    A:
    Active Query Builder supports dozens of SQL syntax dialects for various database servers. Its Web API makes changes to your queries in full accordance with the rules of the specified SQL dialect.
    For example, if you instruct to add pagination to your query while working with MS SQL Server, Active Query Builder will use TOP or OFFSET/FETCH clauses (depending on the server version). For MySQL, it will use the LIMIT clause, for Oracle it will add a condition with a ROWNUM pseudo column.
  • Q:
    How safe is it to use your API?
    A:
    The use of the AQB API provides full protection against SQL injection attacks. Active Query Builder parses the original SELECT query, builds its object model and performs all manipulations on this model instead of the query itself. After that, Active Query Builder generates a new SQL query according to that model, so only valid SQL queries with correctly quoted literals can be generated in the end.
    When using the API to provide a web user with an interface to work with data, the user has access neither to the original nor the modified SQL query. The only information that is passed to the web client is a list of columns of the original query (their names and types). The web client sends user's commands to your server, and the server, in turn, passes them along with the query text to the Active Query Builder Web API cloud service. The service returns a modified query, the server executes it and sends data to the client.
  • Q:
    Is it possible that unwanted data will be revealed upon executing a modified query?
    A:
    Impossible. By executing SQL queries modified with the TransformSQL command, you can get only a subset of the data returned by original query. This command doesn't remove conditions that were present in the original SQL query, it can only add new limitations to the query.
  • Q:
    Can I see it in action?
    A:
    Yes, of course. The sample of a web page providing an end-user interface to work with data (visual query builder) is available on the Demo page along with the necessary instructions.
  • Q:
    What do I need to do to start using Active Query Builder Web API?
    1. Create an account on the User Dashboard on this web site.
    2. Download the Metadata XML Editor tool, run and extract metadata (database schema) from your database, edit and save metadata to a file.
    3. Upload your metadata XML file to the User Dashboard and obtain a unique identifier to refer to the metadata in your requests to the API.
    4. Download a client for your programming environment and integrate it into your application.
    If you want to use the API to build an ad-hoc end-user interface that will access data from your web page (an online SQL query builder), download the Web Client script for Active Query Builder Web API and learn details on the Demo page.
  • Q:
    Is your service free?
    A:
    This service is completely free during the beta testing period. After the test it is free for projects with less than 1000 API requests per month. The prices for more high-loaded applications will be announced later.
  • Q:
    I have a suggestion for improving your API (question, comment). Where do I submit it to?
    A:
    You can ask your questions right here, on this web page below, or you are welcome to the special Feedback Forum.