Using PyCharm’s Built‑in Database and HTTP Client to Replace Navicat and Postman

The features demonstrated in this article require PyCharm Professional; they may not be available in the Community or Educational editions.

As a backend developer, you probably have several tools open—Navicat for database connections, Postman for API testing, and PyCharm for coding. This guide introduces lesser‑known PyCharm functions that let you integrate these tools into a single workspace, reducing the need to switch screens.

1. Database

PyCharm’s built‑in Database tool can fully replace Navicat. You can find it among the two vertical icons in the upper‑right corner of the IDE.

The tool supports a wide range of database types; most mainstream databases can be connected. The example below shows a MySQL connection.

Enter the connection name, host, port, user, password, and database name, then click “Test Connection”. The first test may download the appropriate driver; once successful, the connection is established.

After connecting, PyCharm displays all tables, columns, types, and comments. You can view table data and perform visual insert, update, and delete operations just like in Navicat, which is very convenient for testing and debugging.

With this tool you can abandon Navicat and perform database visual operations directly inside PyCharm, eliminating constant screen switching.

2. HTTP Client

The HTTP Client is a lesser‑known feature that lets you test RESTful APIs inside PyCharm, serving as an alternative to Postman.

You can locate the HTTP Client via the same vertical icons in the IDE’s top‑right corner.

Opening it shows an interface similar to Postman where you fill in request method, URL, headers, and body, then send the request to view the response.

For repeated testing and saving, create an HTTP Request file (default extension .http) in a test directory. This file defines the request in a fixed format, e.g.:

Write the method, URL, headers, and body (if any). You can also click “Add Request” to generate a template. Running the request (via the small arrow) shows the result. The example below tests two APIs—GET and POST—against the database configured earlier.

The GET request returns JSON data, displayed clearly just like in Postman.

Posting a new record works similarly; after the request you can verify the insertion in the database.

Thus, by combining the Database tool and HTTP Client, you can replace both Navicat and Postman, creating HTTP request files for each data model and performing CRUD operations directly from the IDE without juggling multiple applications.

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