> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.parable.work/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# SQL Primer

> Query Provider, Artifact, Parable, and Workspace data with read-only SQL.

SQL gives you one read-only surface for the data available to a Workspace. Use
a Flight SQL client SDK to query tables from Providers, published files,
materialized Plots, and live Workspace metadata without copying them into a
separate query system.

## Choose what to query

| Surface                                                      | Address                         | What it holds                            |
| ------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------- |
| [Provider Pool](/protocols/sql/data-catalog/provider-pool)   | `providers.{connector}.{table}` | Current data synced by Provider Plugins. |
| [Artifact Pool](/protocols/sql/data-catalog/artifact-pool)   | `artifacts.{table}`             | Files published as queryable tables.     |
| [Parable Pool](/protocols/sql/data-catalog/parable-pool)     | `parables.{parable}.{plot}`     | Materialized Plot results.               |
| [Workspace Pool](/protocols/sql/data-catalog/workspace-pool) | `workspace.{table}`             | Live, query-safe Workspace metadata.     |

[Provider quality](/protocols/sql/data-catalog/provider-quality) is a companion
catalog at `providers_quality`. It describes the health of Provider tables; it
is not another data pool.

Bronze, Silver, and Gold are not part of this SQL surface. They are storage and
processing details behind the logical tables above.

## Run your first query

1. [Connect with a client SDK](/protocols/sql/query-with-sdks) and select a
   Workspace.
2. [Discover its tables and columns](/protocols/sql/data-catalog/discover-tables-and-columns).
3. Use fully qualified table names in a read-only SQL statement.

```sql theme={null}
SELECT
  id,
  primaryemail,
  orgunitpath
FROM providers.google.users
WHERE suspended = false
LIMIT 10
```

The Workspace selected on the request determines which tables you can see. A
catalog name never contains the Workspace slug.

## Learn the contract

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="Data catalog" icon="table-list" href="/protocols/sql/data-catalog">
    Understand pools, discover tables, and find the source of each table.
  </Card>

  <Card title="SQL behavior" icon="brackets-curly" href="/protocols/sql/sql-behavior">
    Learn naming, types, relationships, and supported operations.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Flight SQL" icon="plane" href="/protocols/sql/flight-sql">
    Use the underlying Arrow Flight SQL protocol directly.
  </Card>
</Columns>