Getting Started
The Turso CLI (tursodb) is an interactive SQL shell for working with Turso databases. It supports in-memory and file-based databases, multiple output modes, CSV import, database cloning, and built-in documentation.
Quick Start
In-Memory Database
Launch the shell with a transient in-memory database:Open a Database File
Run a Query Directly
Pass SQL as a command-line argument to run it and exit:Pipe SQL from stdin
Interactive Shell
When launched without a SQL argument, the shell provides an interactive REPL with command history and syntax highlighting.Multi-line Input
Unfinished statements (missing semicolons, unbalanced parentheses) automatically continue on the next line. The prompt indicates nesting depth:Command History
Command history is saved automatically to~/.limbo_history and accessible with up/down arrow keys.
Exiting
Use.quit or .exit to leave the shell. Pressing Ctrl+C twice also exits.
Output Modes
Turso supports three output modes, selectable with the-m flag or the .mode dot command.
Pretty (Default)
Human-readable table with borders:List
Pipe-delimited values suitable for scripting:Line
One column per line, with column names:Non-Interactive Mode
When input is piped (not a terminal), the shell runs in non-interactive mode:- Output defaults to
listmode (override with-m) - No startup banner, history, or syntax highlighting
- Exits with code 1 on query errors