duckdb · mlafeldt · Oct 23, 2025 · Oct 24, 2025 · mlafeldt · Oct 23, 2025
diff --git a/crates/duckdb/examples/appender.rs b/crates/duckdb/examples/appender.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use duckdb::{params, Connection, DropBehavior, Result};
+use duckdb::{params, types::AppendDefault, Connection, DropBehavior, Result};
 
 fn main() -> Result<()> {
     //let mut db = Connection::open("10m.db")?;
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
             id INTEGER not null, -- primary key,
             area CHAR(6),
             age TINYINT not null,
-            active TINYINT not null
+            active TINYINT DEFAULT 1,
         );";
     db.execute_batch(create_table_sql)?;
 
@@ -25,12 +25,7 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
         // }
 
         for i in 0..row_count {
-            app.append_row(params![
-                i,
-                get_random_area_code(),
-                get_random_age(),
-                get_random_active(),
-            ])?;
+            app.append_row(params![i, get_random_area_code(), get_random_age(), AppendDefault])?;
         }
     }
 

diff --git a/crates/duckdb/src/appender/mod.rs b/crates/duckdb/src/appender/mod.rs
@@ -83,6 +83,16 @@ impl Appender<'_> {
         result_from_duckdb_appender(rc, &mut self.app)
     }
 
+    /// Append a DEFAULT value to the current row
+    #[inline]
+    fn append_default(&mut self) -> Result<()> {
+        let rc = unsafe { ffi::duckdb_append_default(self.app) };
+        if rc != 0 {
+            return Err(Error::AppendError);
+        }
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
     #[inline]
     pub(crate) fn bind_parameters<P>(&mut self, params: P) -> Result<()>
     where
@@ -95,13 +105,14 @@ impl Appender<'_> {
         Ok(())
     }
 
-    fn bind_parameter<P: ?Sized + ToSql>(&self, param: &P) -> Result<()> {
+    fn bind_parameter<P: ?Sized + ToSql>(&mut self, param: &P) -> Result<()> {
         let value = param.to_sql()?;
 
         let ptr = self.app;
         let value = match value {
             ToSqlOutput::Borrowed(v) => v,
             ToSqlOutput::Owned(ref v) => ValueRef::from(v),
+            ToSqlOutput::AppendDefault => return self.append_default(),
         };
         // NOTE: we ignore the return value here
         //       because if anything failed, end_row will fail
@@ -189,7 +200,7 @@ impl fmt::Debug for Appender<'_> {
 
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod test {
-    use crate::{params, Connection, Error, Result};
+    use crate::{params, types::AppendDefault, Connection, Error, Result};
 
     #[test]
     fn test_append_one_row() -> Result<()> {
@@ -389,4 +400,50 @@ mod test {
 
         Ok(())
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_append_default() -> Result<()> {
+        let db = Connection::open_in_memory()?;
+        db.execute_batch(
+            "CREATE TABLE test (
+                id INTEGER,
+                name VARCHAR,
+                status VARCHAR DEFAULT 'active'
+            )",
+        )?;
+
+        {
+            let mut app = db.appender("test")?;
+            app.append_row(params![1, "Alice", AppendDefault])?;
+            app.append_row(params![2, "Bob", AppendDefault])?;
+            app.append_row(params![3, AppendDefault, AppendDefault])?;
+            app.append_row(params![4, None::<String>, "inactive"])?;
+        }
+
+        let rows: Vec<(i32, Option<String>, String)> = db
+            .prepare("SELECT id, name, status FROM test ORDER BY id")?
+            .query_map([], |row| Ok((row.get(0)?, row.get(1)?, row.get(2)?)))?
+            .collect::<Result<Vec<_>>>()?;
+
+        assert_eq!(rows.len(), 4);
+        assert_eq!(rows[0], (1, Some("Alice".to_string()), "active".to_string()));
+        assert_eq!(rows[1], (2, Some("Bob".to_string()), "active".to_string()));
+        assert_eq!(rows[2], (3, None, "active".to_string()));
+        assert_eq!(rows[3], (4, None, "inactive".to_string()));
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_append_default_in_prepared_statement_fails() -> Result<()> {
+        let db = Connection::open_in_memory()?;
+        db.execute_batch("CREATE TABLE test (id INTEGER, name VARCHAR DEFAULT 'test')")?;
+
+        let mut stmt = db.prepare("INSERT INTO test VALUES (?, ?)")?;
+        let result = stmt.execute(params![1, AppendDefault]);
+
+        assert!(matches!(result, Err(Error::ToSqlConversionFailure(_))));
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
 }
diff --git a/crates/duckdb/src/pragma.rs b/crates/duckdb/src/pragma.rs
@@ -61,6 +61,12 @@ impl Sql {
         let value = match value {
             ToSqlOutput::Borrowed(v) => v,
             ToSqlOutput::Owned(ref v) => ValueRef::from(v),
+            ToSqlOutput::AppendDefault => {
+                return Err(Error::ToSqlConversionFailure(Box::new(std::io::Error::new(
+                    std::io::ErrorKind::InvalidInput,
+                    "AppendDefault is only valid for Appender operations, not for pragmas",
+                ))));
+            }
         };
         match value {
             ValueRef::BigInt(i) => {

diff --git a/crates/duckdb/src/statement.rs b/crates/duckdb/src/statement.rs
@@ -534,6 +534,12 @@ impl Statement<'_> {
         let value = match value {
             ToSqlOutput::Borrowed(v) => v,
             ToSqlOutput::Owned(ref v) => ValueRef::from(v),
+            ToSqlOutput::AppendDefault => {
+                return Err(Error::ToSqlConversionFailure(Box::new(std::io::Error::new(
+                    std::io::ErrorKind::InvalidInput,
+                    "AppendDefault is only valid for Appender operations, not for prepared statements",
+                ))));
+            }
         };
         // TODO: bind more
         let rc = match value {

diff --git a/crates/duckdb/src/types/chrono.rs b/crates/duckdb/src/types/chrono.rs
@@ -284,6 +284,7 @@ mod test {
         let value = match sqled {
             ToSqlOutput::Borrowed(v) => v,
             ToSqlOutput::Owned(ref v) => ValueRef::from(v),
+            ToSqlOutput::AppendDefault => unreachable!(),
         };
         let reversed = FromSql::column_result(value).unwrap();
 

diff --git a/crates/duckdb/src/types/mod.rs b/crates/duckdb/src/types/mod.rs
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ pub use self::{
     from_sql::{FromSql, FromSqlError, FromSqlResult},
     ordered_map::OrderedMap,
     string::DuckString,
-    to_sql::{ToSql, ToSqlOutput},
+    to_sql::{AppendDefault, ToSql, ToSqlOutput},
     value::Value,
     value_ref::{EnumType, ListType, TimeUnit, ValueRef},
 };

diff --git a/crates/duckdb/src/types/to_sql.rs b/crates/duckdb/src/types/to_sql.rs
@@ -2,6 +2,37 @@ use super::{Null, TimeUnit, Value, ValueRef};
 use crate::Result;
 use std::borrow::Cow;
 
+/// Marker type that can be used in Appender params to indicate DEFAULT value.
+///
+/// This is useful when you want to append a row with some columns using their
+/// default values (as defined in the table schema). Unlike `Null` which explicitly
+/// sets a column to NULL, `AppendDefault` uses the column's DEFAULT expression.
+///
+/// ## Limitations
+///
+/// `AppendDefault` only works with **constant** default values. Non-deterministic
+/// defaults like `random()` or `nextval()` are not supported. Explicitly provide
+/// values for those columns as a workaround.
+///
+/// ## Example
+///
+/// ```rust,no_run
+/// # use duckdb::{Connection, Result, params};
+/// # use duckdb::types::AppendDefault;
+///
+/// fn append_with_default(conn: &Connection) -> Result<()> {
+///     conn.execute_batch(
+///         "CREATE TABLE people (id INTEGER, name VARCHAR, status VARCHAR DEFAULT 'active')"
+///     )?;
+///
+///     let mut app = conn.appender("people")?;
+///     app.append_row(params![1, "Alice", AppendDefault])?;  // status will be 'active'
+///     Ok(())
+/// }
+/// ```
+#[derive(Copy, Clone, Debug)]
+pub struct AppendDefault;
+
 /// `ToSqlOutput` represents the possible output types for implementers of the
 /// [`ToSql`] trait.
 #[derive(Clone, Debug, PartialEq)]
@@ -12,6 +43,10 @@ pub enum ToSqlOutput<'a> {
 
     /// An owned SQLite-representable value.
     Owned(Value),
+
+    /// A marker indicating to use the column's DEFAULT value.
+    /// This is only valid for Appender operations.
+    AppendDefault,
 }
 
 // Generically allow any type that can be converted into a ValueRef
@@ -66,6 +101,7 @@ impl ToSql for ToSqlOutput<'_> {
         Ok(match *self {
             ToSqlOutput::Borrowed(v) => ToSqlOutput::Borrowed(v),
             ToSqlOutput::Owned(ref v) => ToSqlOutput::Borrowed(ValueRef::from(v)),
+            ToSqlOutput::AppendDefault => ToSqlOutput::AppendDefault,
         })
     }
 }
@@ -211,6 +247,13 @@ impl ToSql for std::time::Duration {
     }
 }
 
+impl ToSql for AppendDefault {
+    #[inline]
+    fn to_sql(&self) -> Result<ToSqlOutput<'_>> {
+        Ok(ToSqlOutput::AppendDefault)
+    }
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod test {
     use super::ToSql;