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The Schema Browser provides a hierarchical view of your database objects in the left sidebar. Browse tables, views, functions, procedures, and other entities with real-time filtering and context menus. The sidebar displays database objects organized by type:
  • Tables: All tables in the active database/schema
  • Views: Materialized and standard views
  • Functions: User-defined and built-in functions
  • Procedures: Stored procedures
  • Sequences: Auto-increment sequences (PostgreSQL, Oracle)
  • Triggers: Table and database triggers
  • Events: Scheduled events (MySQL)
  • Extensions: Installed extensions (PostgreSQL)
  • Users/Roles: Database users and roles

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Expanding and Collapsing

1

Expand Category

Click the arrow next to any category (e.g., Tables) to expand it.
2

View Items

All items in that category appear as a list beneath it.
3

Collapse

Click the arrow again to collapse the category and hide items.

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Schema Selection (PostgreSQL)

For PostgreSQL databases, select the active schema:
1

Open Schema Selector

Click the schema dropdown at the top of the sidebar.
2

Choose Schema

Select a schema (e.g., public, auth, custom schemas).
3

Reload Tree

The sidebar refreshes to show objects from the selected schema.
System schemas like pg_catalog and information_schema are hidden by default. Enable them in Settings → Show System Schemas.

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Database-Specific Trees

Zequel adapts the sidebar tree to each database type:
  • Schemas (public, custom)
  • Tables with schema prefix
  • Materialized Views
  • Functions (PL/pgSQL)
  • Procedures
  • Sequences
  • Extensions
  • Triggers
  • Users & Roles

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Opening Database Objects

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Tables

Click any table to open it in the Data Grid:
1

Click Table Name

Find the table in the sidebar and click it.
2

View Data

A new tab opens showing the table’s data in the Data Grid.
3

Switch Views

Use the Data and Structure tabs in the status bar to toggle between data and schema views.

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Views

Open views the same way as tables:
  • Click a view name to browse its data
  • For materialized views, refresh them via the context menu
  • View definitions can be edited in the Structure view

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Functions and Procedures

Inspect and edit stored code:
1

Click Function/Procedure

Select it from the sidebar.
2

View Definition

A new tab opens showing the function body in a code editor.
3

Edit and Save

Modify the code and click Save to update the function.

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Context Menus

Right-click any object in the sidebar for quick actions:

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Table Context Menu

  • Open Table: Open in Data Grid (same as clicking)
  • View Structure: Jump to the Structure tab
  • Rename Table: Rename the table
  • Duplicate Table: Create a copy with a new name
  • Truncate Table: Delete all rows (keeps structure)
  • Drop Table: Permanently delete the table
  • Export Table: Export all rows to CSV/JSON/SQL
  • Copy Table Name: Copy name to clipboard

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View Context Menu

  • Open View: Browse view data
  • Edit View: Modify the view definition
  • Refresh Materialized View: Rebuild materialized view data (PostgreSQL)
  • Drop View: Delete the view

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Function/Procedure Menu

  • Edit: Open in code editor
  • Drop: Delete the function/procedure
  • Copy Name: Copy to clipboard

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Searching Objects

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Quick Filter

Filter the sidebar tree in real-time:
1

Focus Search Box

Click the search icon at the top of the sidebar or press Cmd+K.
2

Type to Filter

Type part of a table, view, or function name.
3

View Results

The tree filters to show only matching items. Categories without matches are hidden.
4

Clear Filter

Delete the search text to show all objects again.
Search is case-insensitive and matches partial strings. For example, “user” matches “users”, “user_profiles”, and “system_users”.

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Managing Databases

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Create Database

Create a new database from the sidebar:
1

Open Database Manager

Click the + button next to the database dropdown.
2

Enter Details

Provide a database name, character set (MySQL), and template (PostgreSQL).
3

Create

Click Create Database. The new database appears in the dropdown.

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Switch Database

1

Click Dropdown

Click the active database name at the top of the sidebar.
2

Select Database

Choose a different database from the list.
3

Tree Reloads

The sidebar refreshes to show objects from the selected database.

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Drop Database

Delete a database and all its objects:
1

Open Manager

Click the + button → Manage Databases.
2

Select Database

Choose the database to delete.
3

Confirm

Click Drop and confirm the action. This is permanent and cannot be undone.
Dropping a database deletes all tables, views, functions, and data. Back up important data before dropping.

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Creating Objects

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Create Table

1

Right-Click Tables

Right-click the Tables category in the sidebar.
2

Select Create Table

Choose Create Table from the context menu.
3

Define Schema

Add columns, set data types, define primary keys and constraints.
4

Save

Click Create to add the table to the database.

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Create View

1

Right-Click Views

Right-click Views → Create View.
2

Write Query

Enter the SELECT statement that defines the view.
3

Save

Click Create to add the view.

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Refreshing the Tree

Update the sidebar to reflect external changes:
  • Refresh Button: Click the refresh icon at the top of the sidebar
  • Keyboard: Press Cmd+R while focused on the sidebar
  • Auto-Refresh: The tree automatically updates after creating/dropping objects in Zequel
If another tool modifies the database, manually refresh to see the changes.

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Pending Changes Indicator

Tables with unsaved data edits show a blue dot:
  • The dot appears next to table names in the sidebar
  • It indicates pending edits, inserts, or deletes in the Data Grid
  • The dot disappears when you apply or discard changes

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Privacy Mode

Hide sensitive data in the sidebar:
1

Enable Privacy Mode

Click the eye icon in the status bar or press Shift+Cmd+P.
2

Blur Names

All table names, column names, and schema names are blurred.
3

Disable

Click the eye icon again to show names normally.
Useful when screensharing or presenting with sensitive database names.

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Keyboard Shortcuts

ShortcutAction
Cmd+KFocus search box
Cmd+RRefresh tree
Shift+Cmd+PToggle Privacy Mode
Cmd+BToggle sidebar visibility
Arrow Up/DownNavigate tree items
EnterOpen selected item

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Best Practices

In databases with hundreds of tables, use the Quick Filter to narrow the list before scrolling.
For PostgreSQL, organize related tables into custom schemas (e.g., auth, analytics, public) for easier navigation.
Keep Show System Schemas disabled unless you need to inspect internal database metadata.
If you modify the database in another tool (psql, mysql, etc.), refresh the tree in Zequel to see the updates.

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