qbot-ai 0.1.0
Database Query Bot - REPL combining dbt with GPT-powered natural language processing
Requires Python: >=3.8
Keywords: database, dbt, ai, repl, sql, natural-language

# ✦ QBot: Your AI Database Analyst

**"If you give an agent a tool, then nobody has to fish."**

QBot is a new kind of interface for your database. Instead of writing SQL queries yourself, you delegate high-level analytical tasks to an AI agent. It reasons through your request, executing a chain of queries and analyzing the results until it arrives at a complete answer—all while keeping your data safe with built-in safeguards.

It represents the next logical layer on the modern data stack, building directly on the power of SQL and dbt.

### How It Works: A Smarter Tech Stack

To understand QBot, it helps to see the evolution of the tools it's built upon.

#### **Layer 1: SQL — The Powerful Foundation**

SQL is the universal language of data. It's powerful, but can quickly become complex and difficult to read, especially with multiple joins. For example, getting a customer's rental history in the Sakila database (a sample DVD rental store database with customers, films, and rental transactions) requires this:

```sql
-- Raw SQL: Get rental history for customer 526
SELECT
  f.title,
  f.description,
  r.rental_date
FROM customer c
JOIN rental r
  ON c.customer_id = r.customer_id
JOIN inventory i
  ON r.inventory_id = i.inventory_id
JOIN film f
  ON i.film_id = f.film_id
WHERE
  c.customer_id = 526
ORDER BY
  r.rental_date DESC;
```

This is hard to reuse and requires every user to understand the database's join logic.

#### **Layer 2: dbt — The Standardization Layer**

dbt sits on top of SQL, adding a layer of templating (Jinja) and structure. It allows you to create reusable macros that hide complexity. The ugly query above can be turned into a clean, readable macro:

```sql
-- In a file like `macros/get_customer_rental_history.sql`
{% macro get_customer_rental_history(customer_id) %}
  SELECT
    f.title,
    f.description,
    r.rental_date
  FROM customer c
  JOIN rental r
    ON c.customer_id = r.customer_id
  JOIN inventory i
    ON r.inventory_id = i.inventory_id
  JOIN film f
    ON i.film_id = f.film_id
  WHERE
    c.customer_id = {{ customer_id }}
  ORDER BY
    r.rental_date DESC;
{% endmacro %}
```

Now, anyone (or anything) can perform that complex task with a simple, self-documenting line:

```sql
-- A human can now write this instead:
{{ get_customer_rental_history(customer_id=526) }}
```
dbt also standardizes database connections and provides a `schema.yml` file, a "data dictionary" that describes your tables and columns in plain English.

#### **Layer 3: QBot — The Intelligence & Safety Layer**

QBot adds the final layer: an AI agent that uses the structure dbt provides while keeping your data protected. The agent is armed with two crucial pieces of information from your dbt profile:

- **The Schema (`schema.yml`)**: It reads your table and column descriptions to understand what your data means.
- **The Macros (`macros/*.sql`)**: It learns your reusable business logic to solve complex tasks more efficiently.

**Built-in Safeguards**: QBot includes read-only protections and query validation to prevent dangerous operations like `DROP`, `DELETE`, or `UPDATE` commands, ensuring your data stays safe while you focus on analysis rather than syntax.

This layered approach gives you the best of all worlds: the raw power of SQL, the structure and reusability of dbt, the conversational intelligence of an AI Agent, and the peace of mind that comes with built-in safety controls.

### **The Result: A Real-World Example**

Because the agent understands this stack, you no longer write SQL or dbt. You state a business goal.

**You:** "I want to run a 'customer of the month' promotion. First, identify our single best customer based on their total lifetime payment amount. Once you have that customer, find out which actor they have rented the most movies from. I'll need the customer's full name, their email address, the full name of their favorite actor, and the count of films they've rented by that actor."

QBot accepts the task and begins its reasoning process, writing and executing the necessary SQL.

**Query 1: Find the Top Customer**

```sql
SELECT p.customer_id, c.first_name, c.last_name, c.email, SUM(p.amount) AS total_payments
FROM payment p
JOIN customer c ON p.customer_id = c.customer_id
GROUP BY p.customer_id
ORDER BY total_payments DESC
LIMIT 1
```

```
✔ Query passes safeguard against dangerous operations.
▷ Query Result → Success: Query completed
```

**Query 2: Find Their Favorite Actor**

```sql
WITH cust_rentals AS (
  SELECT r.rental_id, r.inventory_id
  FROM rental r
  WHERE r.customer_id = 526
), films AS (
  SELECT cr.rental_id, i.film_id
  FROM cust_rentals cr
  JOIN inventory i ON cr.inventory_id = i.inventory_id
), film_actor_map AS (
  SELECT f.rental_id, fa.actor_id
  FROM films f
  JOIN film_actor fa ON f.film_id = fa.film_id
)
SELECT a.first_name || ' ' || a.last_name AS actor_name, COUNT(*) AS rentals_by_actor
FROM film_actor_map fam
JOIN actor a ON fam.actor_id = a.actor_id
GROUP BY fam.actor_id
ORDER BY rentals_by_actor DESC, actor_name ASC
LIMIT 1
```

```
✔ Query passes safeguard against dangerous operations.
▷ Query Result → Success: Query completed
```

It then delivers a synthesized answer, even suggesting the next logical step.

**QBot:**
> Got it — we'll find the top customer by total payments, then their most-rented actor.
>
> **Approach:**
> - Query total lifetime payments by customer to get the top customer.
> - For that customer, join rentals → inventory → film_actor → actor to find the actor with the highest rental count.
>
> **Results:**
> - **Customer:** KARL SEAL  
> - **Email:** KARL.SEAL@sakilacustomer.org  
> - **Favorite actor:** UMA WOOD  
> - **Films rented from that actor:** 6
>
> **Next step suggestion:**  
> Want a quick profile for this customer (total rentals, average spend, preferred categories)?

### **From SQL Syntax to Business Questions**

The traditional approach requires you to:
1. **Write SQL** - Master complex syntax and join logic
2. **Debug queries** - Fix syntax errors and performance issues  
3. **Interpret results** - Manually analyze and synthesize findings

QBot flips this model. Instead of writing SQL, you **delegate analysis**:
1. **Ask business questions** - "Who are our top customers this quarter?"
2. **Let the agent work** - It writes, executes, and chains multiple queries safely
3. **Get insights** - Receive synthesized answers with suggested next steps

The result? You spend time on strategy and insights, not syntax and debugging.

## Key Features

- **Multi-Step Task Resolution**: Handles complex tasks by executing a sequence of queries in a single turn.
- **Context-Aware**: Uses your `schema.yml` and dbt macros to generate accurate, business-aware queries.
- **Built-in Safety**: Read-only safeguards prevent dangerous operations while allowing full analytical power.
- **Iterative & Interactive**: Reasons through data step-by-step, recovers from errors, and allows for conversational follow-ups.
- **Direct SQL Passthrough**: For experts, end any query with a semicolon (`;`) to bypass the agent and run it directly.
- **Profile-Based**: Easily switch between different database environments (`--profile mycompany`).
- **Broad Database Support**: Works with SQL Server, PostgreSQL, Snowflake, SQLite, and more.

## Install & Setup

### 1. Installation

```bash
git clone <your-repo-url>
cd QBot
pip install -e .

# Verify installation
qbot --help
```

### 2. Environment (.env)

Create a `.env` file in the root directory with your API key and database credentials.

```bash
# OpenAI API Configuration
OPENAI_API_KEY=your_openai_api_key_here

# QBot LLM Configuration
QBOT_LLM_MODEL=gpt-5
QBOT_LLM_MAX_TOKENS=10000
QBOT_LLM_TEMPERATURE=0.1
QBOT_LLM_VERBOSITY=low
QBOT_LLM_EFFORT=minimal
QBOT_LLM_PROVIDER=openai

# Optional: QBot Behavior Configuration
# QBOT_READ_ONLY=true
# QBOT_PREVIEW_MODE=false
# QBOT_QUERY_TIMEOUT=60
# QBOT_MAX_ROWS=1000
```

### 3. Database Connection (~/.dbt/profiles.yml)

Configure dbt to connect to your database. Create `~/.dbt/profiles.yml` if it doesn't exist.

<details>
<summary>Click to see example dbt configurations</summary>

**PostgreSQL:**

```yaml
qbot:
  target: dev
  outputs:
    dev:
      type: postgres
      host: "{{ env_var('DB_SERVER') }}"
      user: "{{ env_var('DB_USER') }}"
      password: "{{ env_var('DB_PASS') }}"
      dbname: "{{ env_var('DB_NAME') }}"
```

**SQL Server:**

```yaml
qbot:
  target: dev
  outputs:
    dev:
      type: sqlserver
      driver: 'ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server'
      server: "{{ env_var('DB_SERVER') }}"
      database: "{{ env_var('DB_NAME') }}"
      user: "{{ env_var('DB_USER') }}"
      password: "{{ env_var('DB_PASS') }}"
```

**Snowflake:**

```yaml
qbot:
  target: dev
  outputs:
    dev:
      type: snowflake
      account: "{{ env_var('SNOWFLAKE_ACCOUNT') }}"
      user: "{{ env_var('DB_USER') }}"
      password: "{{ env_var('DB_PASS') }}"
      database: "{{ env_var('DB_NAME') }}"
```
</details>

Then, test your connection: `dbt debug`

### 4. Teach the Agent Your Schema

This is the most important step. Create a `profiles/qbot/models/schema.yml` file. The agent's performance depends heavily on clear, detailed descriptions for your tables and columns.

```yaml
version: 2
sources:
  - name: my_database
    schema: dbo
    tables:
      - name: customers
        description: "Contains one record per customer, including personal details and account creation date."
        columns:
          - name: customer_id
            description: "Unique identifier for each customer (Primary Key)."
```

## Usage

```bash
# Start interactive mode
qbot

# Delegate a task from the command line
qbot "How many new customers did we get last month?"
```

## Quick Start with Sample Data

Want to try QBot immediately? Clone the project and set up the sample Sakila database:

```bash
# Clone and install QBot
git clone <your-repo-url>
cd QBot
pip install -e .

# Set up the sample Sakila database (SQLite)
python setup_sakila_db.py

# Start exploring with sample data
qbot --profile Sakila
```

The Sakila database comes pre-configured with a complete schema and sample data, so you can immediately start asking questions like:
- "Who are the top 5 customers by total payments?"
- "Which films are most popular by rental count?"
- "Show me rental trends by month"

> **TODO**: Future versions will include `qbot setup` commands to:
> - Import existing dbt profiles into QBot's `profiles/` structure
> - Download and configure Sakila database automatically
> - Generate starter schema files for new databases

## For Developers

<details>
<summary>Testing, Development, and Troubleshooting</summary>

### Testing

To run the full test suite, which includes agent reasoning and error recovery scenarios against a real database:

```bash
pip install -r requirements-integration.txt
python setup_sakila_db.py  # Sets up a local SQLite DB with test data
pytest
```

### Project Structure

- `qbot/core/`: Contains the core agent logic (reasoning loop, tool usage).
- `qbot/interfaces/`: User interface code (CLI, REPL).
- `profiles/`: Profile-specific contexts for the agent (schemas, macros).
- `tests/`: Agent validation scenarios.

### Troubleshooting

- **Agent gives wrong answers or fails to find tables**: The most likely cause is an unclear or incorrect `schema.yml`. Ensure your table and column descriptions are detailed and accurate.
- **Connection issues**: Double-check your `.env` and `~/.dbt/profiles.yml` files. Run `qbot /debug` to test the connection.
- **API errors**: Verify your `OPENAI_API_KEY` is correct in `.env`.

</details>

## Security

- **SQL Injection**: Mitigated by using dbt's compilation, which inherently parameterizes inputs.
- **Credentials**: API keys and database passwords are loaded securely from environment variables.
- **Permissions**: We strongly recommend running QBot with a read-only database user.