Fox Schema SQL Builder (n8n community node)

Multi-dialect SQL Builder for n8n, powered by @foxschema/core catalog discovery.

Supported dialects: PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQL Server, Oracle.

Db2 is not supported. Native ibm_db cannot install through n8n’s community-node installer. For Db2, use n8n-nodes-db2-sql-builder with a custom Docker image.

Install (community node)

1. In n8n: Settings → Community nodes → Install
2. Package name: n8n-nodes-fox-schema-sql-builder
3. Restart n8n if required

This package does not ship database drivers. Install succeeds on normal n8n hosts (including environments that cannot compile native addons).

Runtime drivers (optional peers)

Install only the driver(s) you need on the n8n host (or bake them into your image):

| Dialect | npm package | |---|---| | PostgreSQL | pg | | MySQL / MariaDB | mysql2 | | SQL Server | mssql | | Oracle | oracledb (+ Oracle Instant Client on the host) |

Example (self-hosted):

cd ~/.n8n
npm install pg mysql2 mssql
# Oracle additionally needs Instant Client / thick mode setup

Features

Schema browser (FoxSchema)

• Lists tables, views, procedures, and functions
• Tables / views → selectable columns
• Procedures / functions → IN / OUT / INOUT parameters

Row operations

• Get / Create / Update / Delete with visual SELECT, WHERE, GROUP BY, HAVING, ORDER BY, LIMIT

Routine operations

• Call Procedure / Call Function (one routine per node)
• Parameter modes: Form (catalog IN/INOUT list), From Item (map incoming JSON by name + optional overrides), JSON object
• OUT parameters are not captured yet (bound as null). Fan-out multiple calls with separate nodes or Split in Batches.

Execute Query

• Multi-statement workflows with bindings, preview/dry-run, optional transactions

Credentials

Create a Fox Schema Database credential:

• Dialect (postgres / mysql / mariadb / sqlserver / oracle)
• Host, port, database/service, username, password
• Schema (optional; defaults: public, dbo, database name, or Oracle username)
• SSL options

Security note

Restrict n8n database credentials to the least privilege needed. Keep Allow Unsafe SQL off unless every workflow editor is trusted.

Development

pnpm install
pnpm build
pnpm test
pnpm validate:n8n

pnpm build bundles a CJS copy of @foxschema/core from the sibling ../foxSchema/packages/core tree (or node_modules/@foxschema/core when published) into dist/vendor/.

E2E against foxSchema seeds

Reuse the sibling foxSchema Docker demo (demo_a):

# Start + seed Postgres (and MySQL by default)
pnpm seed:foxschema

# Or a single dialect / everything
pnpm seed:foxschema postgres
pnpm seed:foxschema all

# Run live catalog + query checks (skips dialects that are down)
pnpm test:e2e

# Fail instead of skip when a dialect is unreachable
FOX_E2E=1 pnpm test:e2e

Seed credentials match foxSchema compose defaults (foxuser / foxpass, schema demo_a). Override with FOX_E2E_PG_*, FOX_E2E_MYSQL_*, etc. if needed.

Test inside the n8n Db2 image

Uses 5nickels/n8n-nodes-db2-sql-builder:latest (linux/amd64) and mounts this package under N8N_CUSTOM_EXTENSIONS:

pnpm test:n8n
# → http://127.0.0.1:5678
# Fox Schema SQL Builder + baked-in Db2 SQL Builder both available

The compose file joins the external foxschema_default network so credentials can use container DNS:

| Dialect | Host | Port | Database | User / Pass | Schema | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | PostgreSQL | foxschema-postgres | 5432 | foxdb | foxuser / foxpass | demo_a | | MySQL | foxschema-mysql | 3306 | demo_a | foxuser / foxpass | demo_a |

Do not put your n8n login (email@…) into the Fox Schema Database credential — that credential is for the SQL database only.

After editing the credential, click Test then reopen the Table/View list. Catalog errors now surface in the UI instead of a silent “No results”.

Stop with docker compose down.