sqlc

sqlc is an open-source SQL compiler that takes your SQL queries and generates type-safe code in Go, Kotlin, Python, or TypeScript. Created by Kyle Conroy and maintained under the sqlc-dev GitHub organization, it is licensed under the MIT License and available as a CLI tool for Linux, macOS, and Windows. The project has accumulated over 17,700 GitHub stars and is actively maintained, with the latest release being v1.31.1 published in April 2026.

What It Is

sqlc sits in the database access layer of an application stack. Instead of writing repetitive boilerplate to query a database and map results to typed structs or objects, developers write plain SQL and run sqlc generate to produce idiomatic, type-safe interfaces. The workflow is: write SQL queries → run sqlc → call the generated methods from application code. This approach keeps SQL as the source of truth while giving the compiler-level safety of a typed language.

How the Workflow Works

The core loop is straightforward:

• Write SQL schema migrations and queries in .sql files.
• Configure sqlc via a sqlc.yaml file specifying the target language, database engine, and output paths.
• Run sqlc generate to produce code with typed structs and method signatures matching each query.
• Call the generated methods directly from application code — no manual scanning, no reflection-based ORM magic.

The generated code is plain, readable source code that can be committed to version control and reviewed like any other code.

Schema Verification with sqlc verify

A notable feature introduced in v1.24.0 is sqlc verify, which analyzes existing queries against proposed schema changes and reports errors before the schema change is applied to a production database. The project homepage describes this as a safeguard against schema updates and poorly-written queries that "often bring down production databases." This makes sqlc useful not just at code-generation time but also as a CI check during schema migrations.

Language and Database Support

sqlc supports multiple target languages through official and community plugins:

• Go via sqlc-gen-go
• Kotlin via sqlc-gen-kotlin
• Python via sqlc-gen-python
• TypeScript via sqlc-gen-typescript

Supported database engines include PostgreSQL, MySQL, and SQLite. Additional language targets can be added through the plugin system documented in the official docs.

Update: v1.31.1 and Recent Releases

The latest release is v1.31.1, published on April 22, 2026. Recent notable releases include:

• v1.27.0 (August 2024): Added support for local managed databases for any PostgreSQL server.
• v1.26.0 (March 2024): Primarily a bug fix and security fix release.
• v1.25.0 (January 2024): Removed the cgo dependency, simplifying cross-compilation and distribution.

The project is actively maintained with regular releases and an open issue tracker, signaling continued development momentum.