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SQL Cell

Troubleshooting Guide

SQL Cell Troubleshooting Guide

Welcome to the troubleshooting guide for SQL Cell, your go-to solution for running SQL queries directly in Google Sheets. If you encounter issues while using SQL Cell, follow the steps below to identify and resolve them.

Common Issues and Solutions

1. The SQL Cell sidebar doesn’t load

  • Cause: This can occur due to insufficient permissions or browser issues.
  • Solutions:
    • Ensure that you’ve granted the necessary permissions when installing the add-on.
    • Reload Google Sheets or try opening the add-on in an incognito browser session.
    • Check for browser extensions that might block scripts, such as ad blockers, and disable them temporarily.

2. SQL Queries return unexpected results

  • Cause: Syntax errors or incorrect data references.
  • Solutions:
    • Double-check your query syntax. Use the SQL tab in the sidebar for syntax highlighting with the Monaco editor.
    • Verify that the table or file you are querying is attached correctly in the Files tab.
    • Ensure the column names in your query match those in your dataset. Column names are case-sensitive.

3. Files fail to attach

  • Cause: File size or format issues.
  • Solutions:
    • Ensure the file is in a supported format (CSV, Parquet, JSON, JSONL, XLSX).
    • If the file is very large, confirm that it is properly formatted and not corrupted.
    • Try re-uploading the file or splitting large files into smaller chunks.

4. Named ranges are not appearing in the Queries tab

  • Cause: Missing or incorrectly defined named ranges in your Google Sheet.
  • Solutions:
    • Go to Data > Named Ranges in the Google Sheets menu and verify that named ranges are defined correctly.
    • Ensure that named ranges contain valid SQL queries.
    • Reload the SQL Cell sidebar to refresh the Queries tab.

5. Error: “DuckDB-WASM failed to initialize”

  • Cause: Browser compatibility or resource limitations.
  • Solutions:
    • Ensure you are using the latest version of a supported browser (e.g., Chrome, Edge, Firefox).
    • Check if your system has sufficient memory to initialize the DuckDB-WASM engine.
    • Reload the add-on and try again.

6. Performance issues with large datasets

  • Cause: Limited system resources or file size exceeding browser limits.
  • Solutions:
    • Avoid querying the entire dataset at once. Use SQL LIMIT or filter conditions like WHERE to work with smaller subsets of data.
    • Optimize your queries by selecting only the columns you need (SELECT column_name instead of SELECT *).

7. Unable to connect to remote databases

  • Cause: Network or configuration issues.
  • Solutions:
    • Verify the URL or credentials provided for the remote database.
    • Ensure that the database is accessible over the internet and that no firewall rules are blocking the connection.
    • Check that your database connection string is formatted correctly.

Advanced Debugging

Enable Developer Console Logs

  1. Open your browser’s Developer Console:
    • Chrome: Ctrl+Shift+J (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Option+J (Mac)
    • Firefox: Ctrl+Shift+K (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Option+K (Mac)
  2. Reload Google Sheets and the SQL Cell add-on.
  3. Look for errors or warnings related to SQL Cell and note the details for troubleshooting.

Reinstall SQL Cell

  1. Remove the SQL Cell add-on:
    • Go to Extensions > Add-ons > Manage Add-ons.
    • Find SQL Cell and select Remove.
  2. Reinstall SQL Cell from the Google Workspace Marketplace.

Getting Help

If the steps above do not resolve your issue:

  1. Check out the Getting Started Guide.
  2. Contact support by:
    • Sending an email to support@sqlcell.com.
    • Providing detailed information about the issue:
      • A description of the problem.
      • Steps to reproduce the issue.
      • Screenshots or logs (if applicable).

Happy querying with SQL Cell!