DB Explorer — Database Query Tool & Explorer

Version: 3.0.1   |   Released: April 2026   |   By: Ashish Srivastava   |   © 2026 Astro Adept AI Labs

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Overview

DB Explorer is a cross-platform database query tool and schema explorer for developers, DBAs, and data analysts. It provides a clean GUI for connecting to multiple databases, writing SQL, exploring schemas, monitoring health, and generating SQL using AI.

Key capabilities: Multi-database support (PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQL Server, Oracle, SQLite, DynamoDB) · Multi-tab SQL editor with syntax highlighting · AI-powered SQL generation · 13 live-switching themes · Execution plan viewer · Database health dashboard · Query result export (CSV, INSERT, UPDATE, DDL)

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What's New in v3.0.1

Feature	Details
AI SQL Generator	Natural language to SQL — supports OpenAI, Claude, DeepSeek, Gemini, Custom
Animated Progress Bars	Shown during query execution, test connection, and AI generation
Settings Menu	Replaces "Edit" menu — access via Alt+S
Help Menu	6 tabbed in-app help topics + About dialog link — access via Alt+H
13 Themes	Live switching from toolbar dropdown, no restart needed
SQL Server Explain Fix	Now returns actual execution plan instead of query text
Execution Plan	Horizontal scroll added, word wrap disabled
Claude API Fix	Null system field now omitted (was causing test failures)
DeepSeek / Gemini Fix	Null system prompt guard; Gemini uses correct system_instruction field
AI Dialog Sizing	Opens at 85% of main window size — adapts to screen resolution
Welcome Screen	AI setup hint added referencing Settings menu
Rebrand	Company renamed to Astro Adept AI Labs

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Quick Start

# Build from source (requires JDK 17+, Maven 3.6+)
git clone <repository-url>
mvn clean package
java -jar target/db-explorer-3.0.1.jar

# Run pre-built JAR
java -jar db-explorer.jar

# Need more memory?
java -Xmx2048m -jar db-explorer.jar

1. Click + in the toolbar → fill in host, port, database, credentials → Test Connection → Save
2. Double-click the connection in the left panel to connect
3. Right-click connection → Open Query Tab — or click New Tab in the toolbar
4. Type SQL → press Ctrl+Enter to run
5. For AI: go to Settings → AI Configuration… → add a profile → click the AI toolbar button

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Main Window Layout

+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  [+] [Run] [Cancel] [NewTab] [Explain] [Health] [AI]    Theme v    Settings  Help        |
+---------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------+-------+
|               |  Tab 1  |  Tab 2  |  + New                                       |       |
|  Connections  |------------------------------------------------------------------| Health|
|  Tree         |  SQL Editor  (syntax highlighting + auto-complete)               | Panel |
|               |------------------------------------------------------------------|       |
|  > MyDB       |  Results  |  Explain Plan                                        |       |
|    > Tables   |                                                                  |       |
+---------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------+-------+
|  Connected: MyDB (PostgreSQL)                  Heap: 256/1024 MB  [GC]                   |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

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System Requirements

Component	Minimum	Recommended
Operating System	Windows 10 / macOS 10.14 / Ubuntu 18.04	Windows 11 / macOS 12+ / Ubuntu 20.04+
Java Runtime	Java 17	Java 17 LTS
Memory	512 MB RAM	2 GB RAM
Disk Space	100 MB	500 MB
Display	1024x768	1920x1080

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Installation

Option A — Pre-built Distribution (Recommended)

1. Download the latest release ZIP from the project repository
2. Extract to any folder
3. JVM-bundled: run db-explorer.exe (Windows) or ./db-explorer (Linux/macOS)
4. JVM-independent: java -jar db-explorer.jar

Option B — Build from Source

git clone <repository-url>
cd db-explorer
mvn clean package
java -jar target/db-explorer-3.0.1.jar

Option C — Development Setup

1. Clone the repository
2. Import as Maven project in IntelliJ IDEA or Eclipse
3. Configure JDK 17+
4. Run main class: com.dbexplorer.ui.MainFrame

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Database Support

Database	Version	Features
PostgreSQL	9.0+	Full schema, EXPLAIN ANALYZE, JSON/JSONB, pg_stat views
MySQL / MariaDB	5.5+ / 10.0+	Performance schema, stored procedures, EXPLAIN tabular
Microsoft SQL Server	2012+	DMVs, SET SHOWPLAN_TEXT, linked server browsing
Oracle Database	11g+	PL/SQL objects, EXPLAIN PLAN + DBMS_XPLAN, v$ views
SQLite	3.0+	File-based, PRAGMA statements, WAL mode
Amazon DynamoDB	—	PartiQL queries, table browsing, key schema display
Generic JDBC	—	Any JDBC-compatible database

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Toolbar Reference

Button	Shortcut	Action
+ Add Connection	—	Open new connection dialog
Run	Ctrl+Enter	Execute current SQL query (green)
Cancel	—	Stop running query (red)
New Tab	Ctrl+N	Open a new query editor tab
Explain	—	Show execution plan for current query
Health	—	Open database health dashboard
AI	—	Open AI SQL Generator
Theme dropdown	—	Switch theme instantly — saved automatically
About	—	Show version and build info

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Menu Bar

Menu	Shortcut	Items
Settings	Alt+S	AI Configuration…
Help	Alt+H	User Guide · DB Connection · AI Configuration · DB Health · Execution Plan · Themes · (separator) · About DB Explorer

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Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action	Shortcut	Action
Ctrl+Enter	Run query	F5	Refresh schema tree
Ctrl+Z	Undo	Ctrl+Y	Redo
Ctrl+N	New query tab	Ctrl+S	Save query
Ctrl+E	Export results	Ctrl+F	Find in results
Alt+S	Settings menu	Alt+H	Help menu

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AI SQL Generator

Convert natural language descriptions into SQL using your configured AI model.

Provider	Example Models	Notes
OpenAI	gpt-4o, gpt-3.5-turbo	Standard OpenAI API
Claude	claude-sonnet-4-20250514	Anthropic API
DeepSeek	deepseek-chat	OpenAI-compatible format
Gemini	gemini-1.5-pro	Google Generative AI
Custom	Any model name	Any OpenAI-compatible endpoint

Setup: Go to Settings → AI Configuration… → click Add New → fill provider, model, API key → Test Connection → Save → enable the profile.

Usage: Click the AI toolbar button (requires active connection) → select AI profile → describe your query → click Generate SQL → review → Copy or Insert into Query Tab.

The generator is schema-aware — it uses your actual table and column names for accurate output. Always review generated SQL before running against production data.

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Execution Plan

Database	Method	Notes
PostgreSQL	EXPLAIN ANALYZE	Shows actual runtime stats
MySQL / MariaDB	EXPLAIN	Rendered as tabular view
SQL Server	SET SHOWPLAN_TEXT ON	Returns text execution plan
Oracle	EXPLAIN PLAN FOR + DBMS_XPLAN.DISPLAY()	Full plan output
DynamoDB	Not supported	—

Click Explain in the toolbar after writing a SELECT query. The plan appears in the Explain Plan tab below the editor with horizontal scrolling and no word wrap.

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Database Health Dashboard

Click the Health toolbar button while connected to open the live monitoring panel.

Panel	Information Shown
Connection	Host, port, database name, driver version, ping latency
Server Stats	Uptime, active connections, cache hit ratio, database size
Active Queries	Currently running queries with duration and state
JVM Stats	Local heap usage, GC count, thread count

Stats refresh automatically. Click Refresh for an instant update.

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Themes

Switch live from the Theme dropdown in the toolbar — no restart needed. Your selection is saved and restored on next launch.

Theme	Style	Best For	Theme	Style	Best For
Flat Dark	Dark	Default, most environments	Flat Darcula	Warm dark	JetBrains IDE users
Flat Light	Light	Bright rooms, screenshots	Flat IntelliJ	Light	IntelliJ IDEA users
Ocean Blue	Dark blue	Long sessions, calm palette	Forest Green	Dark green	Relaxed, earthy feel
Sunset Purple	Dark purple	Vibrant, high contrast	Cherry Red	Dark + red	Bold, high energy
Amber Warm	Warm amber	Evening work	Arctic Frost	Cool light	Clean, airy feel
Rose Garden	Light + rose	Elegant light theme	System	OS native	Matches your OS
Metal	Java default	Consistent cross-platform

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Configuration

Config file location:

• Windows: %APPDATA%\DBExplorer\app.properties
• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/DBExplorer/app.properties
• Linux: ~/.config/DBExplorer/app.properties

query.max.rows=10000      # Maximum rows to load per query
query.fetch.size=500      # Rows fetched per page
export.fetch.size=500     # Rows fetched during export
connection.timeout=30     # Connection timeout in seconds

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Troubleshooting

Problem	Solution
App won't start	Verify Java 17+: java -version · Try java -Xmx1024m -jar db-explorer.jar
Connection fails	Check server is running · Verify firewall/port · Use Test Connection in dialog
Out of memory	Use java -Xmx2048m · Reduce query.max.rows · Click GC button in status bar
SQL Server plan shows query text	User needs SHOWPLAN permission · Disconnect and reconnect, then retry
AI generator returns error	Check API key in Settings · Use Test Connection · Check provider quota/rate limits
Schema tree empty after connect	Press F5 to refresh · Verify user has metadata access privileges
Slow queries	Use Explain Plan to find full table scans · Add indexes · Use LIMIT clauses

Enable debug logging: add -Dlogging.level.com.dbexplorer=DEBUG to JVM arguments.

Log locations: Windows %APPDATA%\DBExplorer\logs\ · macOS ~/Library/Logs/DBExplorer/ · Linux ~/.cache/DBExplorer/logs/

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Release Notes

v3.0.1 — April 2026 (Latest)

Area	Change
AI SQL Generator	New feature — natural language to SQL with schema awareness
Progress Bars	Animated indeterminate bars on query execution, test connection, AI generation
Settings Menu	Renamed from "Edit" — Alt+S mnemonic
Help Menu	6 tabbed topics (User Guide, DB Connection, AI Config, DB Health, Exec Plan, Themes) + About
Themes	13 themes with live switching and persistence
SQL Server Explain	Fixed — now correctly returns execution plan via SHOWPLAN_TEXT
Execution Plan UI	Word wrap disabled, horizontal scrollbar added
Claude API	Fixed null system field being sent (caused 400 errors)
DeepSeek	Fixed null system prompt being sent as "null" string
Gemini	Fixed system prompt — now uses system_instruction field correctly
AI Dialog	Size derived from main window (85% width x 80% height)
Welcome Screen	Added AI setup hint referencing Settings menu
Branding	Renamed from Adept Software to Astro Adept AI Labs

v2.4.0 — March 31, 2026

Enhanced UX for Disconnect and Run Query buttons · Color-coded status messages · Improved validation

v2.3.0 — March 31, 2026

Garbage collection button (GC) in status bar · Manual memory control

v2.2.0 — March 31, 2026

Memory leak fixes · Configuration externalization · Performance improvements

v2.1.0

Database Health Dashboard · Theme fixes · UI improvements

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License

DB Explorer is proprietary software developed by Astro Adept AI Labs.

Copyright (c) 2026 Astro Adept AI Labs. All rights reserved.

1. This copyright notice must be included in all copies or substantial portions of the software.
2. The software may not be redistributed or sold without explicit written permission from Astro Adept AI Labs.
3. Any modifications to the source code must be clearly marked and documented.

For licensing inquiries: adeptashish@gmail.com

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Support

Channel	Details
User Handbook	docs/USER_HANDBOOK.md — full feature documentation
Email	adeptashish@gmail.com
Bug Reports	GitHub Issues — include version, OS, Java version, DB type, steps to reproduce
Feature Requests	GitHub Issues — include use case, expected behaviour, affected DB systems
Q&A	Stack Overflow — tag: db-explorer

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Built by Astro Adept AI Labs | © 2026 | Happy querying!