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

# Syntax Basics

> Understanding the : prefix and syntax rules

# The : Prefix

All OmniQL queries start with a colon (`:`).

```sql theme={}
:GET User WHERE id = 1
```

## Why the Prefix?

OmniQL and native SQL share many keywords (`CREATE`, `UPDATE`, `SELECT`). The prefix acts as a switch, telling the system exactly how to handle the string.

| Query          | Behavior                             |
| -------------- | ------------------------------------ |
| `:GET User...` | ✅ Parsed and translated to target DB |
| `SELECT * ...` | ❌ Error - missing `:` prefix         |

All queries must use OmniQL syntax. For native database commands, use your database driver directly.

## Parser Behavior

The `oql.Parse()` function uses this prefix to determine if it should engage the compiler.

```go theme={}
import "github.com/omniql-engine/omniql"

// 1. OmniQL Query (Starts with :)
query, isOQL, err := oql.Parse(":GET User WHERE id = 1")
// isOQL = true
// query = *models.Query (AST)

// 2. Query without prefix = Error
query, isOQL, err := oql.Parse("SELECT * FROM users")
// isOQL = false
// client.Query() will return error: "OmniQL syntax required"
```

## Syntax Pattern

An OmniQL command follows this structure:

```
:OPERATION Entity [clauses]
```

| Part        | Description             | Example                             |
| ----------- | ----------------------- | ----------------------------------- |
| `:`         | Required Prefix         | `:`                                 |
| `OPERATION` | Action to perform       | `GET`, `CREATE`, `UPDATE`, `DELETE` |
| `Entity`    | Target Table/Collection | `User`, `Product`, `Order`          |
| `[clauses]` | Optional modifiers      | `WHERE`, `ORDER BY`, `LIMIT`        |

## Entity Naming

OmniQL uses PascalCase entity names. The translator automatically lowercases and pluralizes them:

| You Write   | Output       |
| ----------- | ------------ |
| `User`      | `users`      |
| `Product`   | `products`   |
| `OrderItem` | `orderitems` |

> **Note:** The engine lowercases then pluralizes. It does not add underscores (snake\_case).

## Examples

```sql theme={}
-- Queries
:GET User WHERE age > 21
:GET id, name, price FROM Product WHERE active = true

-- Mutations
:CREATE User WITH name:"John", age:30
:UPDATE User SET verified:true WHERE id = 1
:DELETE User WHERE status = "inactive"

-- Schema DDL
:CREATE TABLE User WITH id:AUTO, name:STRING, email:STRING
:CREATE INDEX idx_email ON User (email)
```

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Quickstart" icon="rocket" href="/quickstart">
    Get running in 5 minutes
  </Card>

  <Card title="Filtering" icon="filter" href="/queries/filtering">
    Learn WHERE clauses and operators
  </Card>
</CardGroup>