[SQL Workbench/J](https://www.sql-workbench.eu/index.html) is a free, DBMS-independent, cross-platform SQL query tool that also works with YugabyteDB. SQL Workbench/J is written in Java and should run on any operating system that provides a Java Runtime Environment (JRE).

SQL Workbench/J has the following main focus:

- Running SQL scripts, either interactively or as a batch
- Rich support for importing and exporting datasets
- Editing, inserting, and deleting data directly in the query result view
- Running queries in console mode

In this section, you'll learn how to connect SQL Workbench/J with all of the YugabyteDB APIs on a local cluster. SQL Workbench/J works without any issues with YugabyteDB because the YugabyteDB APIs are compatible at the wire protocol level with databases already supported by SQL Workbench/J.

## Before you begin

To use SQL Workbench/J with YugabyteDB, you need to have YugabyteDB up and running, the required Java Runtime Environment (JRE), and the required PostgreSQL JDBC driver.

### YugabyteDB

Your YugabyteDB cluster should be up and running. Refer to [YugabyteDB prerequisites](../#yugabytedb-prerequisites).

### Java runtime environment (JRE)

SQL Workbench/J requires a Java runtime (or JDK) for Java 8 or later. JRE and JDK installers for Linux, macOS, and Windows can be downloaded from [OpenJDK](http://jdk.java.net/), [AdoptOpenJDK](https://adoptopenjdk.net/), or [Azul Systems](https://www.azul.com/downloads/zulu-community/).

For details on the JRE requirements, see the prerequisites section in the SQL Workbench/J [Getting started](http://www.sql-workbench.eu/getting-started.html) page.

### PostgreSQL JDBC driver

To connect SQL Workbench/J to a YugabyteDB cluster, you need the PostgreSQL JDBC driver installed. To download the current version that supports Java 8 or later, go to the [PostgreSQL JDBC Driver Download](https://jdbc.postgresql.org/download/) page.

### SQL Workbench/J

To install, go to the [SQL Workbench/J](http://www.sql-workbench.net/) website, download the distribution package for the operating system on your client computer, and extract the archive into a directory of your choice.

The application is now ready to run — no further steps are necessary. For details, see [Installing and starting SQL Workbench/J](http://www.sql-workbench.eu/manual/install.html) in the SQL Workbench/J user manual.

## Configure SQL Workbench/J

### Configure the PostgreSQL driver

YugabyteDB is PostgreSQL-compatible, so when working with SQL Workbench/J, use the PostgreSQL JDBC Driver.

1. Launch the SQL Workbench/J application. The **Select Connection Profile** pop-up window appears.

    ![Select connection profile](/images/develop/tools/sql-workbench/sql-wb_connection-profile.png)

2. Click **Manage Drivers** (in the lower left of the window) to open the **Manage Drivers** window.

    ![Manage drivers](/images/develop/tools/sql-workbench/sql-wb-manage-drivers.png)

3. In the list of drivers, select `PostgreSQL` and then edit the fields for the driver:

    - **Name**:`PostgreSQL (for YugabyteDB)`
    - **Library**: Displays the location of the PostgreSQL JDBC driver's JAR file. [For a new configuration, browse to the location of the file and click **Choose**.] When installed, the default location of the JRE or JDK is:

      ```sh
      \Library\Java\Extensions\<jdbc-driver>.jar`
      ```

    - **Classname**: `org.postgresql.Driver`
    - **Sample URL**: `jdbc:postgresql:127.0.0.1:5433/name_of_database` (based on YugabyteDB default values). When opening the driver configuration initially, this field displays

        ```sh
       jdbc:postgresql://host:port/name_of_database
        ```

4. Click **OK**. The **Manage drivers** window closes and returns you to the **Select Connection Profile** window.

You have now configured the PostgreSQL JDBC driver to work with YugabyteDB and can now create a connection profile.

For more information, see:

- [JDBC Drivers](http://www.sql-workbench.net/manual/jdbc-setup.html) in the SQL Workbench/J user manual.
- [PostgreSQL JDBC Driver](https://jdbc.postgresql.org/documentation/) documentation.

### Create a YugabyteDB connection profile

You need to create a connection profile for each database you use and you can always get to the **Select Connection Profile** window from the menu by selecting **File > Connect window**.

1. In the **Select Connection Profile** window, click **Create a new connection profile**. A new profile is created.
2. Replace `New profile` with a meaningful name for the connection profile. Because you need a separate profile for each database connection, include the database name in your profile name.
3. For **Driver**, select `PostgreSQL (for YugabyteDB) (org.postgresql.Driver)`.
4. For **URL**, replace `name_of_database` with the name of the database you want to connect to.
5. For **Username**, enter `yugabyte`, or the user name you will be using.
6. For **Password**, leave the field empty unless YSQL authentication is enabled.
7. Select **Autocommit**. In PostgreSQL and YugabyteDB, `AUTOCOMMIT` is on by default.
8. Click **Test** to verify that the connection works successfully.
9. Click **OK**.  The SQL Workbench/J default window appears. Your connection is now ready to be used.

That's all of the settings you need to start using the connection. For details on configuration profiles, see [Connecting to the database](http://www.sql-workbench.eu/manual/profiles.html) in the SQL Workbench/J user manual.

## What's next

Now that you know how to configure SQL Workbench/J to work with your YugabyteDB databases, you can start exploring the features of SQL Workbench/J. For details on using SQL Workbench/J, see [SQL Workbench/J User's Manual](https://www.sql-workbench.eu/manual/workbench-manual.html).

If you're looking for sample databases to explore YugabyteDB using SQL Workbench/J, see [Sample data](../../../sample-data/).