A SQL formatter takes compact or poorly-written SQL queries and re-formats them with consistent indentation, uppercase keywords, and logical line breaks. Formatted SQL is significantly easier to read, debug, and share with teammates.

SQL Formatting Conventions

Write SQL keywords in UPPERCASE — SELECT, FROM, WHERE, JOIN, GROUP BY
One clause per line — FROM on its own line, WHERE on its own line
Indent continuation lines — AND/OR conditions indented under WHERE
Alias long table names — JOIN order_items oi makes queries shorter

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, basic stored procedure formatting works. The formatter handles BEGIN/END blocks, DECLARE statements, and IF/ELSE logic. For very complex PL/SQL or T-SQL procedures, a dedicated tool like SQL Prompt or dbForge Studio may produce better results.

Standard SQL is defined by ISO, but each database adds extensions. MySQL uses backtick identifiers and AUTO_INCREMENT. PostgreSQL uses double-quote identifiers, SERIAL, and RETURNING. SQL Server uses [bracket] identifiers and IDENTITY. SQLite is the most permissive. This selector changes comment and identifier quote styles.

Copy the SQL string content (without the PHP quotes), format it here, then paste it back. For maintaining readable SQL in PHP code, consider using heredoc syntax or storing queries in separate .sql files.