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Laravel Ask Database Laravel Package
beyondcode/laravel-ask-database
Ask your database questions in plain English. BeyondCode's package uses AI to translate natural language into SQL queries and returns the results, making data exploration easier without writing SQL yourself.
Use natural language and AI to query your database from Laravel
Frequently asked questions about Laravel Ask Database
- How do I install beyondcode/laravel-ask-database in a Laravel app?
- Install it with composer require beyondcode/laravel-ask-database, publish the package config, set OPENAI_API_KEY, choose the database connection, and run php artisan ask-database. The package ships a service provider, a publishable config file, and one Artisan command, with no migrations or domain model. A spike is typically an afternoon of work, but governance review is the real gate.
- Which Laravel and PHP versions does laravel-ask-database support?
- The last release was February 2023 and the repository is archived, so current Laravel and PHP majors are not officially supported. Expect stale framework and OpenAI SDK constraints that may require loosening Composer constraints and patching before it runs on Laravel 11 or 12. Validate it in a sandbox spike and plan to fork and pin if you proceed.
- Which databases can I query with this package?
- The package uses Laravel schema introspection and executes model-generated SQL through a configured connection, so it is intended to follow your Laravel database connection. However, the evaluation flags limited evidence of dialect coverage and error handling across database engines and versions. Test MySQL, PostgreSQL, or whichever engine you use with representative schemas before trusting results.
- Is it safe to run AI-generated SQL against my production database?
- No. Generated SQL is executed as written, and the package does not enforce read-only execution, statement allowlists, row caps, or timeouts by default. For any non-sandbox use, point it at a read replica or dedicated least-privilege read-only connection and add guardrails and audit logging. Never run it against the primary production connection as a first step.
- How does laravel-ask-database turn a question into SQL?
- It is a thin prompt-introspect-execute loop: the command introspects your schema, sends schema metadata and query context to OpenAI, receives SQL, and executes that SQL directly. Results are returned to the terminal, and there is no request-path coupling or domain model. That simplicity is why it is cheap to add and remove, but it also means safety controls are yours to build.
- Can I configure the OpenAI model or change the API endpoint?
- Configuration is handled through the publishable config file, and you must provide an OPENAI_API_KEY before the command can call OpenAI. The evaluation notes that the OpenAI model and API version may be hardcoded or constrained, so check the config and source before assuming you can override them without forking. If you need a different model or endpoint, budget for a small patch.
- How should I test laravel-ask-database before using it?
- There are no documented testing helpers or a test suite you can lean on, so treat testing as your responsibility. Stub the OpenAI HTTP call in your own tests and run integration checks against a disposable database with a read-only role. Verify query success rate, error handling, and cost per useful query before any pilot expands.
- What are the main risks of natural language to SQL in Laravel?
- The dominant failure mode is silent incorrectness: plausible but wrong joins and aggregates that are harder to spot than errors. Prompt injection is realistic through user input, schema comments, or seeded data that reaches the prompt, and token spend grows with schema breadth. Add read-only credentials, statement allowlists, LIMIT and timeouts, and human review for high-stakes answers.
- Is beyondcode/laravel-ask-database still maintained?
- No. beyondcode/laravel-ask-database is archived, had about 302 stars and zero dependents at evaluation time, and its last release was February 2023. Treat it as a reference implementation to evaluate, not a dependency to adopt without an explicit engineering-ownership decision. There is no upstream upgrade path.
- What alternatives exist for querying a Laravel database in plain English?
- You can fork and pin the package, reimplement the thin prompt-introspect-execute loop on a maintained OpenAI SDK, or use natural-language query features already present in database IDEs and warehouse consoles. For a Laravel app, reimplementing the loop is often lower long-term risk than carrying a frozen dependency. Decide based on pilot exit criteria such as query success rate, cost per useful query, and security sign-off.
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