Skills
Chapter 16 of 28
Work with PostgreSQL in Encore Go using sqldb.NewDatabase from encore.dev/storage/sqldb — schema migrations and SQL queries.
1 minute · 154 words · 16 sections
package user
import "encore.dev/storage/sqldb"
var db = sqldb.NewDatabase("userdb", sqldb.DatabaseConfig{
Migrations: "./migrations",
})Encore’s database API mirrors Go’s standard database/sql package. Use .Scan() to read query results into variables.
Query - Multiple Rowstype User struct {
ID string
Email string
Name string
}
func listActiveUsers(ctx context.Context) ([]*User, error) {
rows, err := db.Query(ctx, `
SELECT id, email, name FROM users WHERE active = true
`)
if err != nil {
return nil, err
}
defer rows.Close()
var users []*User
for rows.Next() {
var u User
if err := rows.Scan(&u.ID, &u.Email, &u.Name); err != nil {
return nil, err
}
users = append(users, &u)
}
return users, rows.Err()
}QueryRow - Single Rowfunc getUser(ctx context.Context, id string) (*User, error) {
var u User
err := db.QueryRow(ctx, `
SELECT id, email, name FROM users WHERE id = $1
`, id).Scan(&u.ID, &u.Email, &u.Name)
if errors.Is(err, sqldb.ErrNoRows) {
return nil, &errs.Error{
Code: errs.NotFound,
Message: "user not found",
}
}
if err != nil {
return nil, err
}
return &u, nil
}Exec - No Return ValueFor INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE operations:
func createUser(ctx context.Context, email, name string) error {
_, err := db.Exec(ctx, `
INSERT INTO users (id, email, name)
VALUES ($1, $2, $3)
`, generateID(), email, name)
return err
}
func updateUser(ctx context.Context, id, name string) error {
_, err := db.Exec(ctx, `
UPDATE users SET name = $1 WHERE id = $2
`, name, id)
return err
}
func deleteUser(ctx context.Context, id string) error {
_, err := db.Exec(ctx, `
DELETE FROM users WHERE id = $1
`, id)
return err
}user/
└── migrations/
├── 1_create_users.up.sql
├── 2_add_posts.up.sql
└── 3_add_indexes.up.sql.up.sql-- migrations/1_create_users.up.sql
CREATE TABLE users (
id UUID PRIMARY KEY DEFAULT gen_random_uuid(),
email TEXT UNIQUE NOT NULL,
name TEXT NOT NULL,
created_at TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE DEFAULT NOW()
);
CREATE INDEX idx_users_email ON users(email);func transferFunds(ctx context.Context, fromID, toID string, amount int) error {
tx, err := db.Begin(ctx)
if err != nil {
return err
}
defer tx.Rollback() // No-op if committed
_, err = tx.Exec(ctx, `
UPDATE accounts SET balance = balance - $1 WHERE id = $2
`, amount, fromID)
if err != nil {
return err
}
_, err = tx.Exec(ctx, `
UPDATE accounts SET balance = balance + $1 WHERE id = $2
`, amount, toID)
if err != nil {
return err
}
return tx.Commit()
}The Scan method reads columns from query results into variables. Columns are mapped by position, not by name - the order of arguments to Scan must match the order of columns in your SELECT statement.
type User struct {
ID string
Email string
Name string
CreatedAt time.Time
}
// Single row with QueryRow
func getUser(ctx context.Context, id string) (*User, error) {
var u User
err := db.QueryRow(ctx, `
SELECT id, email, name, created_at FROM users WHERE id = $1
`, id).Scan(&u.ID, &u.Email, &u.Name, &u.CreatedAt)
if err != nil {
return nil, err
}
return &u, nil
}
// You can also scan into an inline struct
func getItem(ctx context.Context, id int64) error {
var item struct {
ID int64
Title string
Done bool
}
err := db.QueryRow(ctx, `
SELECT id, title, done FROM items WHERE id = $1
`, id).Scan(&item.ID, &item.Title, &item.Done)
return err
}Always use parameterized queries:
// SAFE - values are parameterized
var u User
err := db.QueryRow(ctx, `
SELECT id, email, name FROM users WHERE email = $1
`, email).Scan(&u.ID, &u.Email, &u.Name)
// WRONG - SQL injection risk
query := fmt.Sprintf("SELECT * FROM users WHERE email = '%s'", email)import (
"errors"
"encore.dev/storage/sqldb"
"encore.dev/beta/errs"
)
func getUser(ctx context.Context, id string) (*User, error) {
var u User
err := db.QueryRow(ctx, `
SELECT id, email, name FROM users WHERE id = $1
`, id).Scan(&u.ID, &u.Email, &u.Name)
if errors.Is(err, sqldb.ErrNoRows) {
return nil, &errs.Error{
Code: errs.NotFound,
Message: "user not found",
}
}
if err != nil {
return nil, err
}
return &u, nil
}$1, $2, etc.)Scan to read query results - columns are mapped by positionsqldb.ErrNoRows when expecting a single rowInstall this repository
npx skills add encoredev/skills/plugin marketplace add encoredev/skillsSkills install per repository, not per chapter — the CLI has no documented per-skill form, so we do not print one.
Work with PostgreSQL in Encore Go using `sqldb.NewDatabase` from `encore.dev/storage/sqldb` — schema migrations and SQL queries.
The verbatim description from this skill’s front matter — the string an agent matches on to decide whether to load it.
main, last pushed 15 May 2026.SKILL.md, not by matching a directory convention. One layout observed: encore/*/SKILL.md.h1 and no skipped levels:.claude-plugin/marketplace.json by Encore, declaring 1 plugin. It is read for editorial metadata only — never as the skill index, which is always the repository tree./encoredev/skills.md, and each chapter at its own .md URL.