db.connect - GRASS manual
Author: GRASS Development Team
Description: db.connect: Prints/sets general DB connection for current mapset.
Keywords: database, attribute table, connection settings

## NAME

db.connect - Prints/sets general DB connection for current mapset.

## KEYWORDS

database, attribute table, connection settings

## SYNOPSIS

db.connect
db.connect --help
db.connect [-pgcd] [driver=name] [database=name] [schema=name] [group=string] format=name [--help] [--verbose] [--quiet] [--ui]

### Flags:

-p
  Print current connection parameters and exit
-g
  Print current connection parameters using shell style and exit [deprecated]
  This flag is deprecated and will be removed in a future release. Use format=shell instead.
-c
  Check connection parameters, set if uninitialized, and exit
-d
  Set from default settings and exit
  Overwrite current settings if already initialized
--help
  Print usage summary
--verbose
  Verbose module output
--quiet
  Quiet module output
--ui
  Force launching GUI dialog

### Parameters:

driver=name
  Name of database driver
  Options: dbf, odbc, ogr, pg, sqlite
  Default: sqlite
database=name
  Name of database
  Default: $GISDBASE/$LOCATION_NAME/$MAPSET/sqlite/sqlite.db
schema=name
  Database schema
  Do not use this option if schemas are not supported by driver/database server
group=string
  Default group of database users to which select privilege is granted
format=name [required]
  Output format
  Options: plain, shell, json
  Default: plain
  plain: Plain text output
  shell: shell script style output
  json: JSON (JavaScript Object Notation)

## DESCRIPTION

db.connect allows the user to set database connection parameters. These parameters are then taken as default values by modules so that the user does not need to enter the parameters each time.

The default database backend in GRASS is SQLite (since version 7).

## NOTES

Values are stored in the mapset's `VAR` file; the connection is not tested for validity.

The -p flag will display the current connection parameters.

The -c flag will silently check if the connection parameters have been set, and if not will set them to use GRASS's default values. (useful in scripts before you attempt to create a new database table)

To connect a vector map to a database table, use v.db.connect or v.db.addtable.

## EXAMPLES

### SQLite (default backend)

Local storage:

    db.connect -d
    db.connect -p
    db.tables -p

The SQLite database file is created automatically when used the first time.

See SQLite database driver for details.

### PostgreSQL (local connection)

Local storage, database tables stored in database "mydb" (may require the use of db.login):

    db.connect driver=pg database=mydb
    db.login user=myname pass=secret
    db.connect -p
    db.tables -p

See PostgreSQL database driver for details.

### PostgreSQL (network connection)

Network storage, database tables stored in database "mydb" (may require the use of db.login):

    db.connect driver=pg database=mydb
    db.login user=myname pass=secret host=myserver.com port=6666
    db.connect -p
    db.tables -p

See PostgreSQL database driver for details.

### MySQL (local connection)

Local storage, database tables stored in database "mydb" (may require the use of db.login):

    db.connect driver=mysql database=mydb
    db.login user=myname pass=secret
    db.connect -p
    db.tables -p

See MySQL database driver for details.

### MySQL (network connection)

Network storage, database tables stored in database "mydb" (may require the use of db.login):

    db.connect driver=mysql database=mydb
    db.login user=myname pass=secret host=myserver.com
    db.connect -p
    db.tables -p

See MySQL database driver for details.

### ODBC

Network storage, database tables stored in database "mydb" (may require the use of db.login):

    db.connect driver=odbc database=mydb
    db.login user=myname pass=secret
    db.connect -p
    db.tables -p

See ODBC database driver for details.

### DBF (local, not recommended)

Local storage (the dbf/ subdirectory in the mapset must exist or must be created by the user):

    db.connect driver=dbf database='$GISDBASE/$LOCATION_NAME/$MAPSET/dbf/'
    db.tables -p

See DBF database driver for details.

## SEE ALSO

db.columns, db.copy, db.drivers, db.login, db.tables, v.db.addtable, v.db.connect

GRASS SQL interface

## AUTHORS

Main author: Radim Blazek, ITC-Irst, Trento, Italy
GRASS 7 improvements: Martin Landa, Markus Metz

## SOURCE CODE

Available at: db.connect source code (history)

Latest change: Monday Nov 03 07:16:48 2025 in commit: c96796774942e46bbababcd652d3986d4e295665

Main index | Database index | Topics index | Keywords index | Graphical index | Full index

© 2003-2026 GRASS Development Team, GRASS 8.6.0dev Reference Manual