SurrealQL Functions
SurrealDB ships hundreds of built-in functions grouped into namespaces (string::, array::, math::, type::, …). Function names and signatures change between releases, so the authoritative, version-current source is the SurrealQL tooling rather than memory:
For mapping any function to authoritative documentation, see [references/catalog.md](references/catalog.md).
When to use this skill
- Looking up which built-in function does what, or its exact arguments
- Getting live completions, hover, and signature help for
.surql files
- Confirming a function exists / has the expected signature in the installed
SurrealDB version (avoids emitting renamed or removed functions)
Setup
Install the language server from crates.io — the published crate bundles the grammar, so no separate tree-sitter checkout is needed:
cargo install surrealql-language-server
# -> installs the `surrealql-language-server` binary on your PATH (~/.cargo/bin)
Verify it is on your PATH:
surrealql-language-server --help
Build from source (optional)
Only needed for development or to track unreleased changes. The source build requires the tree-sitter grammar checked out as a sibling directory:
git clone https://github.com/surrealdb/surrealql-language-server.git
cd surrealql-language-server
bash scripts/setup-grammar.sh # clones/updates the grammar
# ...or: export TREE_SITTER_SURREALQL_DIR=/abs/path/to/surrealql-tree-sitter
cargo build --release # -> target/release/surrealql-language-server
For browser/editor embedding, build the wasm-bindgen npm package instead with bash scripts/build-wasm.sh (outputs to pkg/).
Editor integration
Point your editor's LSP client at the surrealql-language-server binary for the .surql / surrealql language. Generic stdio LSP configuration:
- Command:
surrealql-language-server (or the absolute path from a source build)
- File types:
*.surql
The server then provides, against the installed grammar version:
- Completions — built-in function names per namespace, field names,
record<table> types, and keywords
- Hover — type info, permission posture, and function signatures
- Signature help — argument shapes while typing a call
Using it to discover functions
- Open or create a
.surql buffer connected to the LSP.
- Type a namespace prefix (e.g.
string::) and trigger completion to enumerate
that namespace's built-in functions for the installed version.
- Hover a function call, or invoke signature help inside the parentheses, to see
its exact signature and argument types.
Because completions and signatures come from the installed grammar, they reflect the current SurrealDB version — preventing stale or renamed functions from older releases. To read full documentation and examples for any namespace, follow the links in [references/catalog.md](references/catalog.md).
