Standalone Server

a3sql-server runs the same database engine without Arma 3. Same SQL, same save/load, same everything: it shares the code path with the in-game extension. Use it to test SQL before shipping a mission, to run a database your tools can reach across the network, or as a scratch server while developing.

Running

# Default: port 33306, localhost only, in-memory
a3sql-server

# Custom port
a3sql-server --port 33307

# Save to a file: load at start, auto-save every 30 s, save on shutdown
a3sql-server --db data.bin

# Reachable from other machines
a3sql-server --bind 0.0.0.0 --port 33306

# Interactive prompt
a3sql-server --interactive

Flag	What it does
`--port, -p <PORT>`	Listen port (default `33306`)
`--bind, -b <IP>`	Bind address (default `127.0.0.1`)
`--db, -d <PATH>`	Persist to file: load at start, auto-save every 30 s, final save on shutdown. Absolute and relative paths both work.
`--interactive, -i`	Read SQL from the console instead of only serving TCP
`--help, -h`	Show options, config file location, and the auth requirement

Interactive mode

a3sql-server --interactive drops you into a REPL. Type SQL or a server command (PING, SAVE, LOAD) and press Enter; the result prints on the next line.

$ a3sql-server --interactive
a3sql> CREATE TABLE players (uid STRING PRIMARY KEY, name STRING, score INT)
[0,"OK",""]
a3sql> INSERT INTO players VALUES ('76561198000000001', 'Scarface', 1500)
[0,"OK",""]
a3sql> SELECT * FROM players
[0,"OK",[...]]
a3sql> :q

a3sql> is the prompt. :help lists the commands; :exit, :quit, :q (or plain exit / quit) leave the REPL. Ctrl+C shuts the server down cleanly and saves the database if --db is set.

Configuration

The server reads $A3SQL_CONFIG or, failing that, ./a3sql.toml in the working directory. Config is optional; a missing file is not an error.

Key	What it does
`listener_require_auth`	Require `LOGIN` on every connection. Default `true` (fail-closed). Set `false` for anonymous access on a trusted loopback deployment.
`data_dir`	Directory for file commands (`SAVE`, `LOAD`, `export_to_file`). Default `./a3sql_data/`.
`game_version`	Expected Arma 3 version, e.g. `"2.22"`. When set, the engine compares it to the arma3-wiki command data version and logs a warning on mismatch. The SQF command database is sourced from the arma3-wiki crate (acemod/arma3-wiki `dist-2` branch, 6-hour cache, fallback to embedded data). Useful when you run the engine against a newer game than the wiki data covers.

# a3sql.toml
listener_require_auth = true
data_dir = "./a3sql_data"
game_version = "2.22"

A fully-commented template ships as a3sql.toml.example in the repository root — copy it next to the binary and edit.

The server and the in-game extension read the same config format.

Connecting

The server speaks the same TCP protocol as the in-game listener, including LOGIN (required by default), PING, and cursor commands. See TCP Connector.

printf 'LOGIN admin secret123\nSELECT name FROM players\nQUIT\n' | nc 127.0.0.1 33306

Connecting from the game

The game extension can point at a standalone server instead of executing locally:

["connect 192.168.1.100 33306"] call a3sql_fnc_execute;
_result = ["SELECT * FROM players"] call a3sql_fnc_execute;
["disconnect"] call a3sql_fnc_execute;

While connected, SQL is forwarded to the remote server and the local database is untouched. disconnect switches back to local mode.

Building from source

For developers. Server operators should use a release binary.

cargo build --release --manifest-path extension/Cargo.toml --bin a3sql-server
./extension/target/release/a3sql-server --help

# Standalone Server `a3sql-server` runs the same database engine without Arma 3. Same SQL, same save/load, same everything: it shares the code path with the in-game extension. Use it to test SQL before shipping a mission, to run a database your tools can reach across the network, or as a scratch server while developing. ## Running ```bash # Default: port 33306, localhost only, in-memory a3sql-server # Custom port a3sql-server --port 33307 # Save to a file: load at start, auto-save every 30 s, save on shutdown a3sql-server --db data.bin # Reachable from other machines a3sql-server --bind 0.0.0.0 --port 33306 # Interactive prompt a3sql-server --interactive ``` | Flag | What it does | |---|---| | `--port, -p <PORT>` | Listen port (default `33306`) | | `--bind, -b <IP>` | Bind address (default `127.0.0.1`) | | `--db, -d <PATH>` | Persist to file: load at start, auto-save every 30 s, final save on shutdown. Absolute and relative paths both work. | | `--interactive, -i` | Read SQL from the console instead of only serving TCP | | `--help, -h` | Show options, config file location, and the auth requirement | ## Interactive mode `a3sql-server --interactive` drops you into a REPL. Type SQL or a server command (`PING`, `SAVE`, `LOAD`) and press Enter; the result prints on the next line. ``` $ a3sql-server --interactive a3sql> CREATE TABLE players (uid STRING PRIMARY KEY, name STRING, score INT) [0,"OK",""] a3sql> INSERT INTO players VALUES ('76561198000000001', 'Scarface', 1500) [0,"OK",""] a3sql> SELECT * FROM players [0,"OK",[...]] a3sql> :q ``` `a3sql> ` is the prompt. `:help` lists the commands; `:exit`, `:quit`, `:q` (or plain `exit` / `quit`) leave the REPL. Ctrl+C shuts the server down cleanly and saves the database if `--db` is set. ## Configuration The server reads `$A3SQL_CONFIG` or, failing that, `./a3sql.toml` in the working directory. Config is optional; a missing file is not an error. | Key | What it does | |---|---| | `listener_require_auth` | Require `LOGIN` on every connection. Default `true` (fail-closed). Set `false` for anonymous access on a trusted loopback deployment. | | `data_dir` | Directory for file commands (`SAVE`, `LOAD`, `export_to_file`). Default `./a3sql_data/`. | | `game_version` | Expected Arma 3 version, e.g. `"2.22"`. When set, the engine compares it to the arma3-wiki command data version and logs a warning on mismatch. The SQF command database is sourced from the [arma3-wiki](https://crates.io/crates/arma3-wiki) crate (acemod/arma3-wiki `dist-2` branch, 6-hour cache, fallback to embedded data). Useful when you run the engine against a newer game than the wiki data covers. | ```toml # a3sql.toml listener_require_auth = true data_dir = "./a3sql_data" game_version = "2.22" ``` A fully-commented template ships as `a3sql.toml.example` in the repository root — copy it next to the binary and edit. The server and the in-game extension read the same config format. ## Connecting The server speaks the same TCP protocol as the in-game listener, including `LOGIN` (required by default), `PING`, and cursor commands. See [TCP Connector](TCP-Connector). ```bash printf 'LOGIN admin secret123\nSELECT name FROM players\nQUIT\n' | nc 127.0.0.1 33306 ``` ## Connecting from the game The game extension can point at a standalone server instead of executing locally: ```sqf ["connect 192.168.1.100 33306"] call a3sql_fnc_execute; _result = ["SELECT * FROM players"] call a3sql_fnc_execute; ["disconnect"] call a3sql_fnc_execute; ``` While connected, SQL is forwarded to the remote server and the local database is untouched. `disconnect` switches back to local mode. ## Building from source *For developers. Server operators should use a release binary.* ```bash cargo build --release --manifest-path extension/Cargo.toml --bin a3sql-server ./extension/target/release/a3sql-server --help ```