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.

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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.

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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.

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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).

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Happy querying with SQL Cell!