Workspaces and Database Context

A workspace is the primary container for SQL analysis context in PawSQL. It records the database engine, version, schema scope, and available metadata—such as tables, columns, constraints, and indexes—used by review, rewrite, index recommendation, plan analysis, and validation features.

A workspace is not a business database. Creating one does not create, modify, or delete objects in the target database.

Goal

Build the database context PawSQL needs for SQL review and optimization using DDL or a live database connection.

Prerequisites

To create a workspace you need either the DDL definitions or a database connection that provides the engine, version, schema, and object metadata used for analysis.

How a workspace participates in analysis

The same SQL can parse and optimize differently under a different engine, version, schema, or index set. Confirm that the selected workspace matches the environment where the SQL actually runs.

Two ways to create a workspace

Consideration	DDL	Database connection
Direct database access	Not required	Required
Metadata source	User-supplied definitions	Target database
Refresh model	Reimport or edit DDL	Resynchronize
Existing indexes	Must be included in DDL	Retrieved when permitted
Statistics and online plans	Usually limited	Depends on database and permissions
Best suited for	Isolated or limited analysis	Ongoing governance and richer validation

By scenario:

Scenario	Recommended source
One-off analysis	DDL
Database is isolated from PawSQL	DDL
Credentials cannot be provided	DDL
No deployed database yet, but design-stage DDL exists	DDL
A separate context for demos, training, or testing	DDL
Team repeatedly analyzes the same database	Database connection
Schema and index changes should be synchronized	Database connection
Online plans or validation are required	Database connection with approved permissions

For a quick one-off analysis, a DDL workspace is usually enough; for ongoing review, batch governance, or performance validation, prefer a database connection. Steps are in Create from DDL and Create from a database.

Configuration guidance

Use names that distinguish the system, database, and environment:

orders-mysql-test
customer-oracle-production
warehouse-hive-development

Avoid generic names such as database-1 or test.

Field	Recommendation
Name	Include system, database, and environment
Description	Record purpose, source, and owner
Engine	Match the real database product
Version	Use the deployed version, not a default latest version
Default schema	Select the schema for unqualified names
Metadata scope	Include only what the project needs

Expected Result

A workspace configured with the correct engine, version, schema, and imported metadata that PawSQL uses for review, rewrite, index, and plan analysis.

Verification

Confirm the workspace matches the target environment by checking that the engine, version, schema, and imported metadata reflect where the SQL actually runs; creation steps are in the create-from-ddl and create-from-database guides.

Workspaces and Database Context

Goal

Prerequisites

How a workspace participates in analysis

Two ways to create a workspace

Configuration guidance

Expected Result

Verification

Operating principles

Next steps

Create from DDL

Create from a database

SQL optimization

Supported databases

​Goal

​Prerequisites

​How a workspace participates in analysis

​Two ways to create a workspace

​Configuration guidance

​Expected Result

​Verification

​Operating principles

​Next steps

Create from DDL

Create from a database

SQL optimization

Supported databases

Goal

Prerequisites

How a workspace participates in analysis

Two ways to create a workspace

Configuration guidance

Expected Result

Verification

Operating principles

Next steps