Swavan plugin · chitra

The database client that lives in your terminal.

Chitra is a native, multi-driver database client for the terminal: browse schemas, run queries in DBeaver-style tabs that share one connection, visualize your schema as an ER diagram, and keep every credential in a Touch ID-guarded vault — installed standalone or through the Swavan CLI.

Install chitra Explore features

3 platforms — macOS, Linux, Windows

Multi relational, document & graph drivers

1 self-updating standalone binary

install target chitra

browse schema folders & entities query tabbed editors, one connection diagram visual ER of your schema

$ curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/swavan/plugins/main/install-chitra.sh | sh
Installing Chitra...
Ready.

$ chitra                    # launch the TUI

01 / bootstrap

Install & launch

Chitra installs two ways: a one-line standalone installer (no swavan CLI needed), or through the swavan CLI alongside your other plugins. Either way it self-updates.

Standalone — macOS & Linux

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/swavan/plugins/main/install-chitra.sh | sh

Standalone — Windows PowerShell

irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/swavan/plugins/main/install-chitra.ps1 | iex

Via the swavan CLI

swavan plugin install chitra
swavan launch chitra

Update / remove

chitra --self-update      # standalone update
swavan plugin update chitra
swavan plugin uninstall chitra

The standalone installer resolves the latest version from the public catalog, SHA-256-verifies the signed download, and only replaces the binary when a newer build exists — so re-running it (or chitra --self-update) is a safe no-op when you're already current, and never downgrades a newer local build.

02 / the workspace

Browse, query, visualize

A single terminal window: a collapsible schema navigator, tabbed query editors that share one connection, result grids, and an in-terminal ER diagram.

Drivers

Multi-driver

One client for relational, document, and graph databases — from Postgres to Snowflake — each behind a common browse-and-query surface, so muscle memory carries across engines.

Query tabs

DBeaver-style editors

Open multiple query tabs that all share a single connection. Write, run, and keep several working queries side by side without juggling sessions.

Schema

Collapsible navigator

The left panel groups objects into collapsible schema folders under an Entities header, so large databases stay navigable. Drill in to load table detail on demand.

ER diagram

Visual, in-terminal

Render a focused table's relationships or the whole schema as a box-and-connector diagram drawn right in the terminal, with foreign-key edges — plus a Mermaid export for copy/save.

Results

Full-type result grids

Query results render in a scrollable grid that preserves each column's real type, so numbers, timestamps, JSON, and text all display faithfully.

Keybindings

Fully remappable

An in-TUI Settings ▸ Keybindings screen lets you search, remap, and live-rebind every key, then save — so the whole surface bends to your habits.

03 / keyboard

Shortcuts

These are the defaults — every binding is remappable from Settings ▸ Keybindings (F1), with search and live rebinding.

Keybindings settingsF1

New query tabCtrl G

ER diagram — focused tableF3

ER diagram — whole schemaF10

Chitra is keyboard-first: the command surface, schema navigator, query tabs, and result grid are all reachable without the mouse. If a default clashes with your terminal or multiplexer, remap it in F1 and save.

04 / credentials

Vault & connections

Connection credentials live in a local encrypted vault, unlocked with Touch ID where available — and Chitra can reconnect the moment it starts.

Vault

Touch ID unlock

Saved connections are held in an encrypted vault that unlocks with a single biometric prompt on supported machines — credentials never sit in plaintext config, and startup never silently reads the keychain.

Auto-connect

Straight to your data

Turn on auto-connect (Settings ▸ General) and Chitra reopens your chosen connection on launch, so you land in the schema browser instead of a connection picker.

Every connection carries its own user-configurable timeout, and credentials are scoped to the vault — so sharing a machine or scripting a launch never leaks secrets into your shell history or dotfiles.

05 / command line

Launch & maintain

Chitra is a TUI first, but a few flags handle version, updates, and help straight from the shell.

Launch

chitra                 # start the TUI
swavan launch chitra   # via the CLI

Version

chitra --version

Update

chitra --self-update   # standalone
swavan plugin update chitra

Help

chitra --help

Installed standalone, chitra keeps itself current with --self-update; installed as a plugin, it updates with the rest of your set via swavan plugin update.