Cross-Tab References

Name a query tab’s result and reference it from any other tab on the same connection with @name — no copy-pasting IDs between queries. At run time, the referenced result is inlined into your SQL as a VALUES-backed CTE.

Example

In one tab, run a query and name the tab @active_users:

SELECT id AS user_id FROM users
WHERE last_seen > now() - interval '24 hours'

In another tab, reference it like a table:

SELECT count(*) FROM events
WHERE user_id IN (SELECT user_id FROM @active_users)

Run it — a pill in the toolbar confirms what was inlined (1 ref · 128 rows inlined).

Naming a Tab

1. Right-click a query tab and choose Name as @…
2. Type a name and press Enter (or Esc to cancel)
3. The tab header now shows @name in the accent color

Right-click again and choose Clear @name to remove it.

Naming rules:

• Lowercase letters, digits, and underscores; must start with a letter
• Max 32 characters
• SQL keywords are reserved
• Unique per connection — different connections can reuse the same name

Editor Support

The editor understands @name tokens:

• Autocomplete - Type @ for a list of named tabs on the connection, with row/column counts
• Hover - Shows the source tab’s title and result shape
• Diagnostics - A red squiggle for unknown names, an amber warning for tabs that haven’t been run yet

How Resolution Works

References are resolved on your machine at run time — the database only ever sees plain SQL:

1. data-peek finds @name tokens in your query (skipping strings, comments, and @@variables)
2. Each referenced tab’s result rows are turned into a CTE using dialect-appropriate syntax (PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, and SQLite are all supported)
3. The CTEs are prepended to your query — merging cleanly with your own WITH clauses — and the rewritten SQL is executed

Because the data is inlined (not the SQL), the referenced query is never re-run, and a chain of references can’t loop.

Limits

For heavier inlines (over 1,000 rows or 256 KB), data-peek shows a confirm dialog with a per-reference breakdown before running. Check Don’t ask again this session to skip it.

Requirements and Errors

• References work across tabs on the same connection only
• The referenced tab must have been run successfully — you’ll get a clear error otherwise (@draft hasn't been run yet — run it first.)
• A tab can’t reference itself