rpg 0.11.0: Rust psql CLI

Published April 15, 2026 by The Daily Scout

Nik Samokhvalov released rpg 0.11.0, a Rust‑rewritten psql-compatible CLI that adds improved EXPLAIN output, WebAssembly support and near-perfect Postgres compatibility. The tool aims to be a modern, faster replacement for Postgres-heavy developer workflows. (x.com)

Why it matters

A Postgres terminal is the command-line front end for talking to a database, and Nik Samokhvalov’s rpg 0.11.0 is trying to replace the standard `psql` client without breaking old workflows. (github.com) Samokhvalov published the 0.11.0 release on April 14, 2026, in a repository that describes rpg as a Rust-written, `psql`-compatible terminal with built-in diagnostics and a single-binary, cross-platform install. (github.com) The release’s core claim is compatibility: rpg says 222 of 232 PostgreSQL regression tests now pass against a PostgreSQL 18 server, with 0 failures and 10 skips. The skipped cases are listed as continuous-integration limits, extension requirements, or two known gaps in output formatting and backslash parsing. (github.com) Version 0.11.0 added three newly passing test groups — `copydml`, `transactions`, and `plpgsql` — and implemented several `\d` describe commands, including `\dP`, `\dA`, `\dAc`, `\dO`, `\dF`, `\dFd`, `\dFp`, and `\dFt`. (github.com) That matters because `psql` is the default terminal client shipped with PostgreSQL, and teams use it for ad hoc queries, schema inspection, scripts, and production debugging. PostgreSQL’s own site calls the database system a project with more than 35 years of active development, which helps explain why matching its command-line behavior is slow, detailed work. (postgresql.org, github.com) rpg is testing itself against PostgreSQL’s own regression suite rather than only a hand-written compatibility checklist. An April 3, 2026 issue in the project said the goal was byte-for-byte output compatibility with upstream `psql`, using PostgreSQL’s source-tree tests as the reference point. (github.com) The WebAssembly addition pushes the terminal into a browser tab. The project’s `WASM.md` says the experimental build compiles to `wasm32-unknown-unknown`, connects to Postgres through a WebSocket proxy, and works with PostgreSQL 14 through 18 servers. (github.com) That browser build does not expose every feature. The project says commands that depend on a local file system, shell, editor, or the `ratatui` text user interface are unavailable in WebAssembly, including `\i`, `\!`, `\e`, `/ash`, and `/rpg`. (github.com) The project also pitches richer database diagnostics than stock `psql`. Its repository says rpg includes built-in database administrator tools and project-specific slash commands alongside the traditional backslash commands that PostgreSQL users already know. (github.com, github.com) The open question is whether developers will trust a substitute client on habit-heavy database work. Samokhvalov’s answer in 0.11.0 is to keep narrowing the gap with upstream `psql`, one regression test at a time. (github.com, github.com)

Key numbers

Nik Samokhvalov released rpg 0.11.0, a Rust‑rewritten psql-compatible CLI that adds improved EXPLAIN output, WebAssembly support and near-perfect Postgres compatibility.
(x.com) A Postgres terminal is the command-line front end for talking to a database, and Nik Samokhvalov’s rpg 0.11.0 is trying to replace the standard psql client without breaking old workflows.
(github.com) Samokhvalov published the 0.11.0 release on April 14, 2026, in a repository that describes rpg as a Rust-written, psql-compatible terminal with built-in diagnostics and a single-binary, cross-platform install.
(github.com) The release’s core claim is compatibility: rpg says 222 of 232 PostgreSQL regression tests now pass against a PostgreSQL 18 server, with 0 failures and 10 skips.

What happens next

(github.com, github.com) The open question is whether developers will trust a substitute client on habit-heavy database work.
The tool aims to be a modern, faster replacement for Postgres-heavy developer workflows.

Sources

Quick answers

What happened in rpg 0.11.0: Rust psql CLI?

Why does rpg 0.11.0: Rust psql CLI matter?

A Postgres terminal is the command-line front end for talking to a database, and Nik Samokhvalov’s rpg 0.11.0 is trying to replace the standard psql client without breaking old workflows. (github.com) Samokhvalov published the 0.11.0 release on April 14, 2026, in a repository that describes rpg as a Rust-written, psql-compatible terminal with built-in diagnostics and a single-binary, cross-platform install. (github.com) The release’s core claim is compatibility: rpg says 222 of 232 PostgreSQL regression tests now pass against a PostgreSQL 18 server, with 0 failures and 10 skips. The skipped cases are listed as continuous-integration limits, extension requirements, or two known gaps in output formatting and backslash parsing. (github.com) Version 0.11.0 added three newly passing test groups — copydml, transactions, and plpgsql — and implemented several \d describe commands, including \dP, \dA, \dAc, \dO, \dF, \dFd, \dFp, and \dFt. (github.com) That matters because psql is the default terminal client shipped with PostgreSQL, and teams use it for ad hoc queries, schema inspection, scripts, and production debugging. PostgreSQL’s own site calls the database system a project with more than 35 years of active development, which helps explain why matching its command-line behavior is slow, detailed work. (postgresql.org, github.com) rpg is testing itself against PostgreSQL’s own regression suite rather than only a hand-written compatibility checklist. An April 3, 2026 issue in the project said the goal was byte-for-byte output compatibility with upstream psql, using PostgreSQL’s source-tree tests as the reference point. (github.com) The WebAssembly addition pushes the terminal into a browser tab. The project’s WASM.md says the experimental build compiles to wasm32-unknown-unknown, connects to Postgres through a WebSocket proxy, and works with PostgreSQL 14 through 18 servers. (github.com) That browser build does not expose every feature. The project says commands that depend on a local file system, shell, editor, or the ratatui text user interface are unavailable in WebAssembly, including \i, \!, \e, /ash, and /rpg. (github.com) The project also pitches richer database diagnostics than stock psql. Its repository says rpg includes built-in database administrator tools and project-specific slash commands alongside the traditional backslash commands that PostgreSQL users already know. (github.com, github.com) The open question is whether developers will trust a substitute client on habit-heavy database work. Samokhvalov’s answer in 0.11.0 is to keep narrowing the gap with upstream psql, one regression test at a time. (github.com, github.com)