Database driver Files MultiSource
Table of contents
Overview
This guide explains how to set up and use the Multi Source driver in Team Edition. This driver allows you to work with multiple files of different formats within a single connection, including:
You can query data from different sources simultaneously, apply filters and sorting, and even join data across files.
Important: When using the Multi Source driver, all connected files are read-only. To make changes, update the original files outside Team Edition.
Multi Source driver connection
This section describes two ways to set up a connection: opening a file from Cloud Storage or creating a connection using the wizard.
Note: The connection from Cloud Storage is temporary and will be removed when the session ends.
Open a file from Cloud Storage
You can open files directly from your Cloud Storage. Open Cloud Storage, find the file you need, and double-click it to create a connection. The connection will appear in the File databases folder in Database Navigator.
You'll need to be logged in using the Identity Provider associated with your Cloud Storage.
Create a connection
To create a connection in Team Edition, use the new connection wizard, select the Files - Multi Source driver, and fill the following fields:
Field | Description | Options |
---|---|---|
Configuration | Choose how to specify the connection details. | - Manual: Enter the database path manually. - URL: Provide a connection URL. |
Database | Enter the file/folder path. | Use the appropriate format for your cloud provider. For instance: s3://AWS/files/path/example/ |
Connection name | Enter a custom name for your connection. | Defaults to Files - Multi Source@localhost . |
Description | (Optional) Add details about this connection. | |
Keep alive (in seconds) | Set how long the connection stays active. | Default: 0 (no timeout). |
Auto commit | Enable automatic transaction commits. See more details on Auto and Manual commit modes. | Enabled by default. |
Read-only connection | Restrict the connection to read-only mode. | Optional checkbox. |
Tip: When using the folder path in the Database field, Team Edition scans the directory up to two levels deep for supported files. If the folder contains multiple files, Team Edition organizes them into schemas based on their directory structure. For more information, see folder structure.
Features and capabilities
Advanced SQL query capabilities
The Multi Source driver supports the full range of SQL queries:
- Simple queries (e.g.,
SELECT * FROM table
): Data is read directly from the files. - Complex queries (e.g., using
WHERE
,JOIN
,ORDER BY
,GROUP BY
): When a complex query is executed for the first time, the driver imports the data from all selected files into an internal database to enable advanced SQL functions. Subsequent queries run faster because the data is already imported into an internal database.
Note: If you want to join data from different files, they must be opened in the same connection. To do this, use a folder path instead of a single file when creating the connection.
Folder structure
When working with multiple files and folders, Team Edition organizes them as follows:
Location | Schema in Team Edition |
---|---|
Root files | Default schema |
Subfolder files | Schema named after the subfolder |
Files in deeper folders | Ignored |
If your folder structure looks like this:
Data/
├── employees.csv
├── sales.json
└── Reports/
├── monthly.xml
├── yearly.parquet
└── summary.xlsx
Team Edition will create:
Default
schema:employees
,sales
Reports
schema:monthly
,yearly
,summary
Tip: To focus on specific files, consider selecting individual files or folders when configuring the connection.
Internal database
When you execute a complex query (such as WHERE
, JOIN
, GROUP BY
, or ORDER BY
.) on multiple files for the first
time, the Multi Source driver processes the data by importing it into a temporary internal SQLite database.
This internal database stores data temporarily on the server during your session and is cleared when session ends.
Additional features
Team Edition provides additional features compatible with Multi Source driver, but not exclusive to it:
Category | Feature |
---|---|
Data Export | Data Export |
Data Visualization | Visual Query Builder |
Charts |
For more details on driver properties, see File-based driver properties.