New SQL Cell should default to an active connection

[sirinath]

Description

This is a quality of life enhancement.

Please default new SQL cell creation to an already open connection. If multiple connection the last used connection in the cells. There there is not last used connection on a existing cells the last opened connection.

Are you willing to submit a PR? (You must receive approval from the team before submitting a PR.)

• Yes

Alternatives

Set the connection to none and warn the connection is not set and needs to be set.

This behavior could be set in the settings.

Additional context

It is annoying to have to choose the connection every time you create a cell and it defaults to memory. You don't always remember to set this in the cell than you just assume it is the connection either the previous cell was using or the last opened. Then you keep wondering why things are not working just to realise the connection is wrong.

General workflow is you connect to the database once and then write all your queries. Each query does not need explicitly specifying the connection.

[sirinath]

In general an SQL workflow should start by opening an connection at the start then executing multiple statements against the existing open connection. The in memory DB should be used if there is not established connection.

[Light2Dark]

We do remember the latest engine you selected, so if you create more SQL cells it will stick to the last chosen one.
But I agree, it'd be a nice UX improvement if we prefer a created connection if one hasn't been chosen yet.

[sirinath]

I remebers the engine but not the connection

[Light2Dark]

@sirinath not sure what you mean, the following should be the expected behaviour. The first one is the default, but after making a selection it remembers your active connection.

Screen.Recording.2026-07-28.at.8.41.44.PM.mov

[sirinath]

In couple of previous sessions it did not work like that.

But now it seem to be working.

I think this breaks once you have multiple edits and reruns. Or I runcon.close() in the last cell.

I will report back when I get more information.

[sirinath]

I created a new workbook to test it and it does not work.

Screen.Recording.2026-07-28.185614.mp4

db-con-test.py

[sirinath]

My bad.

Just opening the connection does not make the explicitly open connection default. You have to create at least one cell and select it per session regardless if there were previous cells with the explicit connection in the workbook.

I stumbled over another issue.

Once you close the connection. Running the connection open works but any SQL executed always subsequently fail in the same session. The connection is shown as open in the sidebar through.

db-con-test.py