DBeaver Data Editor vs JDBC Streaming: Should the IDE Auto‑Detect Large Result Sets?

DBeaver Data Editor vs JDBC Streaming

When a query returns tens of thousands of rows, DBeaver’s Data Editor loads the entire ResultSet into memory before rendering. The JDBC driver can offer a streaming mode (e.g., ResultSet.TYPE_FORWARD_ONLY with a non‑zero fetch size), but this requires manual driver configuration or adjusting the fetch size in DBeaver’s preferences.

The key uncertainty is whether DBeaver should automatically detect a large result set and switch to streaming, or continue to rely on the user to set the appropriate driver properties. Constraints include varying driver support for streaming, the default fetch size of 1,000 rows, and the memory impact of binary large objects that are always fully loaded.

What should be the threshold of rows that triggers an automatic switch to streaming? How should DBeaver handle drivers that ignore fetch size hints? Should there be a user‑configurable toggle for auto‑streaming, and if so, where should it be exposed?