Use WhoDB on your desktop

Use the desktop app when your database work benefits from native file selection, save dialogs, and application menus. It provides the same core browsing and query workflow as the browser app while running as a local application.

For example, you can open a local SQLite file, inspect its rows, and save an exported result to a chosen folder without configuring a separate browser-hosted server.

Install or update#

Choose the desktop artifact for your operating system from WhoDB releases. Follow the installation flow for that artifact, then use First connection to connect to a database.

When updating, install the newer desktop release over the existing app. Keep a copy of important queries and the connection details needed to reconnect; browser-style workspace state is not a replacement for those records.

Work with local files#

Use the native file picker for SQLite or DuckDB files. Check the file you selected before making a write, especially if you keep several copies of the same development database.

Exports use a native save dialog. Choose a filename and destination that identify the result, then check the saved file. For a report or investigation, keep the query and extraction date alongside it.

Use native menus#

Application menus provide connection, import/export, refresh, sidebar, query execution, Scratchpad page, and disconnect actions. The standard Edit menu provides native clipboard operations.

Use the menu when you want to discover an available command or confirm its keyboard shortcut. The Help menu opens documentation and issue reporting, and the About dialog identifies the application version.

Window size and position persist between launches, so you can return to a layout that suits your work.

Saved credentials#

Desktop saved connections use the operating system keyring where available, with local configuration storage when a keyring is unavailable. Access to your operating system account therefore matters to the security of those connections.

Use database accounts with the permissions needed for the task, just as you would in a browser deployment. A local application does not limit what the connected database account can do.

The CLI is a separate terminal interface. Use it when you need shell commands, scripts, or an MCP server rather than a desktop window.