# Help Using DuckDB

**URL:** <https://discourse.julialang.org/t/help-using-duckdb/121401>\
**Category:** New to Julia\
**Tags:** question\
**Created:** [October 16, 2024, 10:00pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/help-using-duckdb/121401 "2024-10-16T22:00:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jdpavek](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/jdpavek/32/206509_2.png) [@jdpavek](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/jdpavek)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2024, 10:00pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/help-using-duckdb/121401/1 "2024-10-16T22:00:47Z")

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I get an error when trying to use DuckDB. Is it my setup, something I might be doing wrong, or possibly a package issue?

julia\> using DuckDB  
Precompiling DuckDB  
Info Given DuckDB was explicitly requested, output will be shown live  
ERROR: LoadError: could not load symbol “duckdb\_vector\_size”:

Thank you for any help you might give a newbie hobbyist.

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**Author:** ![Arlo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/arlo/32/211461_2.png) [@Arlo](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Arlo)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2024, 11:28pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/help-using-duckdb/121401/2 "2024-10-16T23:28:48Z")

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I get the same error. See:

> <https://github.com/duckdb/duckdb/issues/13911>
>
> \### What happens?
> 
> We have a failing Julia package build with DuckDB\_jll 1.1.0 f…or Windows GitHub runners: https://github.com/TulipaEnergy/TulipaEnergyModel.jl/actions/runs/10833112611/job/30062514253
> 
> Revelant part reproduced:
> 
> \`\`\`
> ERROR: LoadError: could not load symbol "duckdb\_vector\_size":
> The specified procedure could not be found. 
> \`\`\`
> 
> I saw other failures on 1.1.0, but I couldn't tell if they were related to this issue or not.
> 
> \### To Reproduce
> 
> I created a simple repo building a Julia package that runs DuckDB here: https://github.com/abelsiqueira/DuckDBDebug.jl/actions/runs/10835456425/job/30067028887
> 
> You can see:
> \- It passes for ubuntu on DuckDB\_jll 1.0.0 and 1.1.0
> \- It passes for Windows on DuckDB\_jll 1.0.0
> \- It fails for Windows on DuckDB\_jll 1.1.0
> 
> The code is very simple, and it doesn't actually run, since it fails on precompilation, but everything is included in the repo (https://github.com/abelsiqueira/DuckDBDebug.jl).
> 
> \### OS:
> 
> windows-latest on CII
> 
> \### DuckDB Version:
> 
> 1.1.0
> 
> \### DuckDB Client:
> 
> Julia
> 
> \### Hardware:
> 
> \_No response\_
> 
> \### Full Name:
> 
> Abel Soares Siqueira
> 
> \### Affiliation:
> 
> Netherlands eScience Center
> 
> \### What is the latest build you tested with? If possible, we recommend testing with the latest nightly build.
> 
> I have tested with a stable release
> 
> \### Did you include all relevant data sets for reproducing the issue?
> 
> Yes
> 
> \### Did you include all code required to reproduce the issue?
> 
> \- \[X\] Yes, I have
> 
> \### Did you include all relevant configuration (e.g., CPU architecture, Python version, Linux distribution) to reproduce the issue?
> 
> \- \[X\] Yes, I have

Apparently a Windows issue, it works in WSL

Note this comment [Windows CI for the Julia Pkg errors with 'Could not load symbol "duckdb\_vector\_size"' · Issue #13911 · duckdb/duckdb · GitHub](https://github.com/duckdb/duckdb/issues/13911#issuecomment-2348210688)

> The DuckDB Julia API is experimental and [not covered by community support](https://duckdblabs.com/news/2023/10/02/support-policy#apis). We welcome contributions fixing this issue but the core team is unlikely to fix this bug in the near future.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jdpavek](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/jdpavek/32/206509_2.png) [@jdpavek](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/jdpavek)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2024, 1:56am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/help-using-duckdb/121401/3 "2024-10-17T01:56:15Z")

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Just curious, how long would it take an average person to learn what’s needed to work on this issue and where would one begin? Any suggested beginning steps?

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**Author:** ![Arlo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/arlo/32/211461_2.png) [@Arlo](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Arlo)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2024, 3:27am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/help-using-duckdb/121401/4 "2024-10-17T03:27:33Z")

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If you read through that issue, people mention using pin or compat as a temporary workaround. You can actually see their PRs since the repos are public.

> <https://github.com/TulipaEnergy/TulipaClustering.jl/pull/57/files>
>
> \## Related issues
> 
> Closes #56
> 
> \## Checklist
> 
> \- \[x\] I am following the \[con…tributing guidelines\](https://github.com/TulipaEnergy/TulipaClustering.jl/blob/main/docs/src/90-contributing.md)
> \- \[x\] Tests are passing
> \- \[x\] Lint workflow is passing
> \- \[x\] Docs were updated and workflow is passing

> <https://github.com/TulipaEnergy/TulipaEnergyModel.jl/pull/842/files>
>
> DuckDB.jl 1.1 on Windows is broken with an error
> 'Could not load symbol duckdb\_v…ector\_size'
> This limits the DuckDB version until that is fixed.
> 
> refs:
> \- duckdb/duckdb#13911

A bit unclear if both DuckDB and DuckDB\_jll need to be limited.

Last comment mentions 1.1.1 works [Windows CI for the Julia Pkg errors with 'Could not load symbol "duckdb\_vector\_size"' · Issue #13911 · duckdb/duckdb · GitHub](https://github.com/duckdb/duckdb/issues/13911#issuecomment-2411846873)  
so I’d assume it will be fixed with next release.

Read about compat if you’re unfamiliar [6. Compatibility · Pkg.jl](https://pkgdocs.julialang.org/v1/compatibility/#Compatibility)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jdpavek](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/jdpavek/32/206509_2.png) [@jdpavek](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/jdpavek)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2024, 7:30am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/help-using-duckdb/121401/5 "2024-10-17T07:30:00Z")

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Arlo, thanks for your help. It was just enough. I found this from GhostOfElectric, and it worked for me.

_If the 1.1.1 C/C++ windows library is downloaded from the DuckDB website and an environment variable JULIA\_DUCKDB\_LIBRARY is set to point at duckdb.dll within it, then the latest version will successfully compile in Julia on windows._

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**Author:** ![Rudi79](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/rudi79/32/3884_2.png) [@Rudi79](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Rudi79)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2024, 9:31am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/help-using-duckdb/121401/6 "2024-10-17T09:31:23Z")

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Loading the dll from DuckDB’s github directly and following the approach from [Cannot install FTS extension in DuckDB - #21 by novemberist](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/cannot-install-fts-extension-in-duckdb/117996/21)  
worked for me.