GeoLabSpatial SQL Workbench
Concept guide

Local-first Geospatial Analysis

Local-first describes where user data is processed and recovered, not a promise of offline operation or cloud durability. GeoLab analyzes files in DuckDB-WASM and stores source bytes plus a versioned workspace manifest in the current browser profile.

User data processing
Current browser tab
Backend upload
No GeoLab application backend
Offline
Not guaranteed
Durability
Browser-local until explicitly cleared

A precise local-first flow

GeoLab data pathtext
Choose local files
  → persist source bytes and a versioned manifest in this browser
  → register files in DuckDB-WASM
  → execute DuckDB Spatial SQL
  → rebuild Arrow/WKB render data after recovery
  → inspect or export spatial layers

Privacy boundary

Selected CSV and GeoJSON files and their query rows are not uploaded to a GeoLab application backend. Source bytes and serializable workspace metadata are stored in browser-local IndexedDB for recovery.

That boundary does not make the page offline: the basemap requests external tiles, and DuckDB Spatial may download extension assets during initialization.

Browser recovery is not cloud persistence

  • Refreshing or reopening the browser rebuilds DuckDB relations and saved layers from local source bytes and recipes.
  • The Workspace panel reports recovery storage usage and provides an explicit clear action.
  • Recovery is limited to this browser profile; there are no accounts, sharing controls, portable project files, remote database connections, or synchronized workspaces.

When this model fits

ScenarioFit
Inspect a local file without configuring a database serverDirect fit
Run an ad hoc spatial join across a few local sourcesDirect fit, subject to browser memory
Maintain a durable, shared geospatial databaseUse a persistent database such as PostGIS or DuckDB native
Edit feature geometry and write it back to a GIS fileUse a GIS editing workflow such as QGIS

Sources and scope

These links document the product behavior summarized above. GeoLab-specific claims are limited to the current public v0.1.0 implementation.

  1. GeoLab READMESupported inputs, browser execution model, limits, and privacy boundaries.
  2. DuckDB-WASM overviewOfficial browser client architecture and platform scope.
  3. GeoLab map implementationExternal basemap and browser rendering behavior.