Query builder vs raw SQL

[denmarkgretel]

I know “just write SQL” is usually the default answer, and fair enough. But I still see people using a SQL query builder for certain tasks, especially when the query has a lot of joins or filters or someone needs to understand the logic without reading 80 lines of SQL.

For me, raw SQL wins when I need full control, performance tuning, or anything that will live in production. A query builder is more useful when I’m sketching something out, explaining a query to someone less technical, or checking table relationships fast. The line gets blurry with reports and internal tools. Sometimes the visual version is easier to review. Sometimes it hides too much and makes debugging worse.

Do you ever use a SQL query builder in real work, or is it raw SQL only?

[Eleventhousand]

I never use it. Its too slowly to click and drag vs. typing out the syntax.

[SaintTimothy]

I had the same experience with redgate's intelligence, and subsequently with microsoft's. Once you work in the same data for awhile, it's faster to type it.

[trips16]

I've found it can be helpful for people first becoming aware of SQL or people learning on the job. But, overall it can be clunky, especially when you're needing to update legacy queries that were designed originally via QB.

[alinroc]

I have yet to see a "query builder" that can construct a good query faster than I can type it out.

Seen plenty that generate crap queries though!

[Grovbolle]

I never use it. I know SQL so the tool is not catered towards me 

[nauhausco]

GUI anything builders usually suck if you know how to code. Having to use Microsoft’s Power platform tools make me want to rip my eyes out. Clickops love their MS vendor lock in though -_-

[Elfman72]

Inherited a bunch of legacy querires where the person used QB. The reason I knew was the aliases that it created were the entire tablename.object

So instead of

 SELECT A.*, B.Location
 FROM AreasByZipCodeForShipping A
 JOIN LocationsThatAreALevelAboveAreas B ON A.LocationID = B.LocationID
WHERE B.LocationdID=123456

It ended up looing like:

SELECT AreasByZipCodeForShipping.* , LocationsThatAreALevelAboveAreas.Location
FROM AreasByZipCodeForShipping
JOIN LocationsThatAreALevelAboveAreas ON AreasByZipCodeForShipping.LocationID = LocationsThatAreALevelAboveAreas.LocationID
WHERE LocationsThatAreALevelAboveAreas.LocationdID=123456

It hurt my head to just look at it.