[Community feedback] Show INFORMATION_SCHEMA in the explorer

[DavLagoHern]

This came up in a recent conversation with a long-time MySQL/MariaDB user on Reddit, so I'm opening it here to track the workflow properly and collect more use cases.

The problem

INFORMATION_SCHEMA is useful for inspecting metadata such as column types and other database information, but some clients make it awkward to access from the normal schema explorer.

The workflow described was having to remember/search for INFORMATION_SCHEMA and then write queries manually, instead of being able to browse it like any other schema.

Possible direction

One option would be to show INFORMATION_SCHEMA directly in the explorer:

• visible like a normal schema
• pinned near the top
• expandable/collapsible
• tables browsable like other schemas
• easy to query without needing to remember object names manually

This is being tracked as community feedback and is not a release promise yet.

Looking for feedback

• Do you use INFORMATION_SCHEMA regularly?
• Would you want it always visible, or behind a setting?
• Should system schemas such as performance_schema, mysql or sys follow the same behavior?
• Would a dedicated metadata search/view be useful as well?

React if this would improve your workflow, and add a comment with how you use system schemas today.

[DavLagoHern]

Implemented in LakeDB Beta 5.4.

MySQL/MariaDB system schemas now appear in a dedicated System schemas group at the bottom of Object Explorer. The group is collapsed by default, INFORMATION_SCHEMA is listed first, and its objects can be browsed like other schemas. mysql, performance_schema, and sys follow the same grouped behavior when visible to the connected account.

The group can be hidden from Preferences, and a system schema is not chosen automatically as the default database.

Release and downloads: https://github.com/DavLagoHern/LakeDB/releases/tag/v1.0.0-beta.5.4