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5-Minute Quick Start

This walkthrough takes you from a fresh EQQ install to running your first query. Follow the five steps in order — the whole thing takes about five minutes.

What you'll build:

Database connection → View → Query → Result

Before you begin, confirm:

  • EQQ is installed and you can reach the sign-in page. (Installation guide)
  • You can sign in as EQQAdmin or a user with Settings Administrator, View Creator, and Query Creator roles.
  • The target database is reachable from the EQQ server and you have its connection credentials.

Step 1 — Sign in

Open http://<your-server>:8081/ in a browser.

Sign-in screen

Enter your Username and Password, choose the database scope in the dropdown, and click Sign In.

You land on the Home dashboard.

Home dashboard

Database dropdown is empty?

That's expected on a fresh install — you'll register the database in the next step.

Step 2 — Connect your database

EQQ needs to know which database to query. You register connections once; they then appear in the sign-in dropdown for all users.

  1. In the top bar, click Settings → Database.
  2. Click + New Database.

  3. Fill in the connection form:

    Field What to enter
    Server Instance Hostname or IP — e.g. MYSERVER\SQLEXPRESS or localhost
    Database The database name — e.g. Northwind
    Database Type SQL Server, MySQL, or PostgreSQL
    Login / Password A read-only application account is recommended
    Active Leave checked

  4. Click Test Connection. The button turns green when it succeeds.

  5. Click Save.

The database now appears in the sign-in dropdown. Use the database icon in the top-right corner to switch to it if needed.

Database already registered?

Skip straight to Step 3.

Step 3 — Create a View

A View is EQQ's governed "window" into a table. It controls which columns are visible to queries — nothing more. Queries are always built on top of Views, never directly on raw tables.

  1. In the top bar, click Manage Views.

    Manage Views list

  2. Click + Create.

  3. Fill in the form:

    Field What to enter
    View Name A friendly name — e.g. Customers
    Technical Name Auto-filled — leave as-is
    Table / SQL Source Pick the source table from the dropdown — e.g. dbo.Customers
    Description Optional — helps other designers discover the view

  4. In the Columns section, check each column you want to expose. Uncheck anything sensitive (passwords, internal keys).

  5. Click Save.

  6. Click Activate View in the toolbar.

    Status must reach Active before any query can use this View.

Rule of thumb

One View per real-world entity — Customers, Orders, Products. Add joins here, not in queries.

Step 4 — Build a Query

A Query is a question you ask of a View. The seven-step wizard builds the SQL for you — no typing required.

  1. In the top bar, click Manage Queries.

    Manage Queries list

  2. Click + Create. The query editor opens at Step 1.

4a — Basic Information (Step 1 of 7)

Query Editor — Step 1: Basic Information

Field What to enter
View To Use Select the View you created in Step 3
Query Name e.g. Customer List
Query Type Pick any type, or leave the default
Query Description e.g. Shows all active customers

Click Next.

4b — Choose columns (Step 2 of 7)

Query Editor — Step 2: Column List

Check the columns you want returned. Drag rows to reorder; use Display Name to give columns friendlier headings for end users.

Click Next. Skip Step 3 (Conditions) for now by clicking Next again.

4c — Add a parameter (Step 4 of 7) — optional

Query Editor — Step 4: Parameter List

Parameters let end users filter results at runtime — e.g. "show only customers in this city". For your first query you can skip this step entirely. Click Next until you reach Step 7.

4d — Test and activate (Step 7 of 7)

Query Editor — Step 7: Test Query

  1. Enter sample values for any parameters you added.
  2. Click Test Query — a preview result grid appears.
  3. If the results look right, click Generate Query, then Activate Query.

Status is now Active. Your query is live.

Step 5 — Run your query

  1. In the top bar, click Use Queries.

    Use Queries list

  2. Find your query in the list and click the green ▶ button.

  3. Fill in any parameters you added, then click Run.

    Run Query — result grid

Results appear in the grid. From here you can:

  • Sort by clicking any column header.
  • Filter by typing in the input row beneath each header — results narrow in real time.
  • Export to Excel, CSV, JSON, or Print using the buttons at the top of the page.

You're done

You've completed the full cycle:

Database → View → Query → Result

Every query you build from now on follows the same pattern. Views and Queries can be reused, cloned, and versioned — so this foundation scales as your needs grow.

What's next?

I want to… Go here
Add filters users fill in at runtime Parameter List
Sort and page through large results Filtering, Sorting & Paging
Publish this query as a REST API Query To JSON
Turn the results into a chart Query To Chart
Connect Claude or Copilot to this data MCP Gateway
Add more users Security → Users
Understand all seven editor steps Building Queries & Views