How To: Write SQL Commands inside a Postgres REPL

Note

This tutorial teaches you how to use Warp’s AI input to run natural-language prompts inside an interactive Postgres REPL, turning plain English into SQL commands.

Although the example uses PostgreSQL, the same workflow applies to Node.js, Python, MySQL, and other interactive shells.

---

🧠 Overview

You’ll learn how to:

• Start a Postgres REPL in Warp.
• Use Command + I (or Ctrl + I) to open Warp’s AI input.
• Speak or type natural-language requests and let Warp translate them into SQL.
• Run the generated queries directly inside your REPL session.

1. Open a Postgres REPL in Warp

   Open Warp and connect to your Postgres database (or a test instance):

   psql -U postgres -d my_database

   You’ll enter the interactive psql prompt, where you normally type SQL commands.

2. Invoke Warp’s AI Input

   Inside the running REPL, press:

   Command + I    (macOS)
   Ctrl + I       (Windows/Linux)

   This opens the Generate Input box.

   You can type or speak in plain English — Warp will translate your request into valid SQL or shell syntax, depending on the REPL you’re in.

3. Ask Warp in Natural Language

   Start with a simple request:

   Show me all tables.

   Warp translates this to the Postgres command:

   \dt

   Then try a more specific query, as shown in the video:

   Show me our users table and our teams table.

   Warp generates:

   SELECT * FROM users;
   SELECT * FROM teams;

   You can run both within your REPL to display the tables.

4. Observe How Warp Learns from Context

   As you continue issuing prompts, Warp’s AI agent learns the structure of your database by observing what’s printed in the REPL output.

   This means you can ask progressively more complex questions, and Warp will tailor the SQL accordingly.

   Show me all of the users who have joined Warp in the last 90 days from public email accounts
   (like Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail) and are on teams of more than two people.

   Warp generates a multi-clause SQL query such as:

   SELECT *
   FROM users
   WHERE email LIKE '%gmail.com%'
      OR email LIKE '%yahoo.com%'
      OR email LIKE '%hotmail.com%'
     AND joined_at > NOW() - INTERVAL '90 days'
     AND team_size > 2;

   Running this query in psql filters users accordingly.

5. Apply the Same Workflow to Other REPLs

   This feature works not just in Postgres but also in:

   • Node.js
   • Python
   • MySQL
   • GDB (GNU Debugger)

   For any of these environments:

   1. Launch the REPL inside Warp.
   2. Press Command + I to bring up AI input.
   3. Describe what you want in natural language.
   4. Warp translates it into the correct syntax for that environment.

   Note

   Warp automatically detects the active REPL, so you don’t need to specify “SQL” or “Python” — it knows which language to generate.

6. Experiment and Iterate

   Try varying your natural-language prompts:

   List all databases.

   \l

   Count how many users signed up this month.

   SELECT COUNT(*) FROM users WHERE joined_at > date_trunc('month', NOW());

   The more you experiment, the more context Warp gathers, improving its translations.

---

🏁 Key Takeaways

• Command + I activates Warp’s AI input within any interactive shell.
• Warp understands natural language and produces valid commands for the current REPL.
• It learns from context — subsequent prompts become more accurate.
• Works beyond Postgres: Node, Python, MySQL, and others.
• A fast way to query or explore systems without memorizing syntax.

Tip

Next time you’re stuck remembering a command in Postgres or Python, hit Command + I and just ask Warp in plain English.