Documentation
Plugins & drivers
TableR ships lean and adds database engines as installable driver plugins — install from the app, the plugin store, or a downloaded bundle.
TableR keeps a small, fast core and adds most database engines as plugins you install on demand. Instead of one heavy build with every driver compiled in, you install only the engines you actually use — and the app verifies each bundle before it loads.
Every official driver is listed on the plugin store with one-click bundle downloads and per-plugin install steps. The store link is at the bottom of this page.
Why plugins
- Lean core — the base app stays small; you add engines only when you need them.
- Independent updates — a driver can ship a fix without waiting for a full app release.
- Verified on install — the app recomputes each bundle's SHA-256 digest and refuses anything that does not match its manifest.
- Explicit permissions — every plugin declares exactly which capabilities it uses (metadata, read, execute, network), shown before you install.
Two kinds of driver
Driver plugins come in two runtimes. The difference decides how a plugin connects and whether it needs a compiled binary.
| Type | Runtime | How it connects | Install |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud / HTTP | declarative-http-v1 | Talks to the database over HTTPS | Installs instantly from the registry — manifest-only, no binary |
| Native | driver-sidecar-v1 | Out-of-process driver over a native protocol | Also needs a per-OS binary from a full release build |
Cloud / HTTP drivers today: Google BigQuery, ClickHouse, Cloudflare D1, OpenSearch, and Snowflake. Native drivers: DuckDB, Cassandra, Redis, and LibSQL — these connect once the matching binary is present.
Install a plugin
- 1From the Official registry
In the app, open App menu → Plugin Manager → Official registry, then click Install next to the engine. Cloud / HTTP drivers are ready to use immediately.
- 2From a downloaded bundle
Download a bundle from the plugin store, unzip it, then choose Install plugin and pick the unzipped folder — the one that directly contains plugin.json.
- 3Native drivers
Install as above, then make sure the matching per-OS binary from a full release build is present. Without it the driver imports but cannot connect yet.
A cloud / HTTP driver bundle is just its signed manifest — there is no compiled code to download, so it installs and connects the moment the registry entry is verified.
How install stays safe
On import the host recomputes the bundle's SHA-256 digest byte-for-byte and rejects the bundle unless it equals the digest recorded in the manifest. Downloaded assets are additionally checked by size and hash before they are written. Credentials stay on your machine and never touch the website that hosts the plugins.