DuckDB 1.5 debuts reworked CLI, new VARIANT type, PEG parser, ODBC scanner, and more

DuckDB has released version 1.5, code-named “Variegata”, marking a major update for this in-process SQL OLAP database engine. Among the key features, the command-line interface for terminal users has been fully redesigned, introducing a new color scheme, dynamic prompts, a pager, and various convenience improvements. This makes the CLI both more accessible and efficient for interactive work.

Following this, a new experimental parser based on Parser Expression Grammars (PEG) delivers better query suggestions, improved error messages, and adds support for grammar extensibility via extensions. These parser improvements help developers and advanced users by providing clearer feedback and greater flexibility. In addition, DuckDB now natively supports the VARIANT type. This data type stores typed, binary data with per-row type information, improving both storage compression and query performance compared to the traditional JSON type.

These enhancements are complemented by new workflow capabilities. The read_duckdb table function removes the need to manually attach a database before reading, simplifying access. Users can also write directly to Azure Blob or ADLSv2 storage with the COPY command, broadening cloud integration. Additionally, a new ODBC scanner extension allows direct querying of remote endpoints. Several further changes and enhancements are detailed in the official release notes.