SQLite Query Explainer

Simon Willison built an interactive SQLite query explainer tool that runs SQLite in Python via Pyodide in Web Assembly in the browser, adding explanations to EXPLAIN and EXPLAIN QUERY PLAN results. The tool was inspired by Julia Evans' blog post about learning to read query plans.

Tool: SQLite Query Explainer https://tools.simonwillison.net/sqlite-query-explainer Julia Evan's, in Learning a few things about running SQLite https://jvns.ca/blog/2026/07/17/learning-about-running-sqlite/ : Maybe one day I’ll learn to read a query plan. Big same.... which inspired me to have Fable build https://github.com/simonw/tools/pull/299 issue-4919268017 this interactive explain tool, which runs SQLite in Python in Pyodide in Web Assembly in the browser and adds a layer of explanation to the results of both EXPLAIN and EXPLAIN QUERY PLAN. Approach with caution, since I don't know enough about SQLite query plans to verify the results myself, but it seems cromulent enough to me. Tags: sql https://simonwillison.net/tags/sql , sqlite https://simonwillison.net/tags/sqlite , tools https://simonwillison.net/tags/tools , julia-evans https://simonwillison.net/tags/julia-evans , pyodide https://simonwillison.net/tags/pyodide , claude-mythos-fable https://simonwillison.net/tags/claude-mythos-fable