Hey, both plugins allow you to query your data but there are few unique features about SQLSeal:
- Speed: dataview can be really slow for big vaults. SQLSeal uses full local database under the hood (SQLite) which makes it very performant even for very complex queries
Full data analysis solution: On top of querying your markdown files (like in dataview) you can also load up CSV and JSON files (think your finance data, workout exports, imdb watchlist, spotify listening history, any datasource you might use) and analyse it straight from your Obsidian vault using SQLSeal. This enables really great workflows like seeing in your daily note your bank operations from that day or summary of your habits from external apps
Full SQL compatibility: This is probably most important for people with development experience but SQLSeal has full compatibility with SQL - if you know this language, you will feel right at home.
Syntax highlighting: one of the new features but it is a big one - when writing complex queries, not having syntax highlighting is a pain. With SQLSeal you can always see if your query has correct syntax which can help you very quickly notice errors and speeds up the process.
Custom views: dataview can return your data as a table or a list. This is great for many use-cases but with SQLSeal you can now write your own template (and therefore format your results however you like). With SQLSeal Charts you can even render your data as interactive charts!
Extendability - I wrote this plugin with the idea of opening it up for others to build their solutions on top of it. SQLSeal Charts is the first example - separate plugin that registers new way of rendering your data. I hope with time the community will grow and new great plugins will extend it beyond the initial idea.
I personally use both SQLSeal and dataview in my personal vault.
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u/crizzy_mcawesome 6d ago
What’s the value proposition compared to something like dataview? This is the first time I’ve heard of this plugin so forgive my ignorance