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NQL (Narrative Query Language) uses SQL-like syntax with extensions for data collaboration. This page provides a high-level overview of statement types and links to detailed references.

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Statement types

NQL supports two main statement types:

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Query Templates

NQL also supports parameterized queries through query templates, which use placeholder syntax to create reusable, customizable queries.

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Key syntax rules

  • Explicit columns required: NQL does not support SELECT * or COUNT(*). See Explicit Column Selection.
  • Reserved keywords: Certain keywords must be quoted when used as identifiers. See Reserved Keywords.
  • Fully qualified names: Use fully qualified column names (e.g., company_data."123".column_name or company_data.my_dataset.column_name) to avoid ambiguity, especially in joins.
  • Dataset references: Reference a dataset in the company_data schema by its numeric ID (company_data."123") or its name (company_data.my_dataset). Numeric IDs must be quoted because they’re numeric; names need quoting only when they’re a reserved keyword or contain special characters. See NQL vs. SQL for when each form is used and why.

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Related content

SELECT

Full SELECT statement syntax and clauses

Data Types

Primitive and complex types supported in NQL

Operators

Comparison, logical, and arithmetic operators

Functions

Built-in and Narrative-specific functions

NQL vs. SQL

How NQL differs from standard SQL, including dataset references