# Records: SQL for Humans

Records is a library for working with tabular data in Python, accessible via SQL. It is powered by [SQLAlchemy](https://www.sqlalchemy.org/) and provides a high-level API for interacting with databases using SQL queries. Records simplifies the process of working with databases by abstracting away the complexities of SQL and providing a more user-friendly interface.

Database support includes RedShift, Postgres, MySQL, SQLite, Oracle, and MS-SQL (drivers not included).

Records offers full [tablib](/software/tablib) integration, allowing you to easily convert query results to tabular data formats like CSV, JSON, and Excel — and even dataframes.

## Usage

Using `records` is simple, if you have a database connection string like `DATABASE_URL` set in your environment, you can use it like this:

```python
import records

db = records.Database('postgres://...')
rows = db.query('select * from active_users')

# Iterate over rows
for row in rows:
    print(row.username)

# Convert query results to CSV
csv = rows.export('csv')

# Convert query results to JSON
json = rows.export('json')

# Convert query results to Excel
excel = rows.export('xlsx')

# Convert query results to a pandas DataFrame
df = rows.export('df')
```

Make sure you have the appropriate database driver installed.

## Links

- https://github.com/kennethreitz/records