> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.mindsdb.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# DuckDB

This is the implementation of the DuckDB data handler for MindsDB.

[DuckDB](https://duckdb.org/) is an open-source analytical database system. It is designed for fast execution of analytical queries. There are no external dependencies and the DBMS runs completely embedded within a host process, similar to SQLite. DuckDB provides a rich SQL dialect with support for complex queries with transactional guarantees (ACID).

## Prerequisites

Before proceeding, ensure the following prerequisites are met:

1. Install MindsDB locally via [Docker](/setup/self-hosted/docker) or [Docker Desktop](/setup/self-hosted/docker-desktop).
2. To connect DuckDB to MindsDB, install the required dependencies following [this instruction](/setup/self-hosted/docker#install-dependencies).
3. Install or ensure access to DuckDB.

## Implementation

This handler is implemented using the `duckdb` Python client library.

<Tip>
  The DuckDB handler is currently using the `0.7.1.dev187` pre-relase version of the Python client library. In case of issues, make sure your DuckDB database is compatible with this version. See the [`requirements.txt`](https://github.com/mindsdb/mindsdb/blob/main/mindsdb/integrations/handlers/duckdb_handler/requirements.txt) for details.
</Tip>

The required arguments to establish a connection are as follows:

* `database` is the name of the DuckDB database file. It can be set to `:memory:` to create an in-memory database.

The optional arguments are as follows:

* `read_only` is a flag that specifies whether the connection is in the read-only mode. This is required if multiple processes want to access the same database file at the same time.

## Usage

In order to make use of this handler and connect to the DuckDB database in MindsDB, the following syntax can be used:

```sql theme={null}
CREATE DATABASE duckdb_datasource
WITH
    engine = 'duckdb',
    parameters = {
        "database": "db.duckdb"
    };
```

You can use this established connection to query your table as follows:

```sql theme={null}
SELECT *
FROM duckdb_datasource.my_table;
```