Building a UI for PostgreSQL Database Migrations

In this post, the author discusses the development of a user interface (UI) for generating database migrations for PostgreSQL. The motivation behind building such a system was to address the challenges faced by developers in managing database schema changes and dependencies. The UI aims to provide an easy-to-use interface that supports both manual and automatic migration management, while maintaining developer experience and productivity. Key features of the UI include: 1. Managing PostgreSQL schema via a web interface for ease of use. 2. Generating/updating migration files directly using text editors for flexibility. 3. Easily migrating between development, staging, and production environments. 4. Supporting rollback functionality with up/down actions for each schema change. 5. Providing error handling with actionable feedback to users. 6. Handling dependency management by warning about modifying schema with dependencies. 7. Offering import/export capabilities for metadata files. 8. Enabling version control and collaboration through a Git-like system for Hasura projects. The UI is built on React, with the Hasura CLI responsible for file generation and persisting migration state in the user's file system. The architecture consists of React components communicating with the server via HTTP POST requests intercepted by the CLI. The UI also supports tracking DML statements in SQL and provides human-readable error notifications. The author compares their migration system to Rails Active Record, highlighting differences in file structure and rollback functionality. They encourage developers to try out the Hasura migration system for a user-friendly experience while acknowledging that it may not be a one-size-fits-all solution for all PostgreSQL users.