Migrations

Database Migrations

UQL takes an Entity-First approach: you modify your TypeScript entity classes, and UQL auto-generates the migration files for you.

Your entities are the single source of truth

No need to write DDL manually. UQL diffs your entities against the live database and generates the exact SQL needed. The only thing you maintain is your entity classes — UQL handles everything else.

# 1. Update your entity (add a field, change a type, add a relation...)
# 2. Auto-generate the migration
npx uql-migrate generate:entities add_user_nickname

# 3. Review and apply
npx uql-migrate up

That’s it. No manual ALTER TABLE, no keeping entities and migrations in sync, no schema DSLs.

Want manual migrations for data backfills or custom SQL? You can do that too — full automation + full control when you need it.

Generated files and custom generators

generate:entities writes a default-export migration where each SQL statement is its own await querier.run("…") line. The argument is always a normal JavaScript string literal (produced with JSON.stringify), so SQL that contains backticks (SQLite / LibSQL / MySQL-style identifiers), double quotes, or newlines does not break TypeScript parsing.

If you provide a custom SchemaGenerator, the create-table helpers generateCreateTable, generateCreateTableFromNode, and generateCreateTableFromDefinition return string[] — one string per querier.run. Join with '\n' only when you need a single combined script. (See the uql-orm changelog for version 0.8.2.)

1. Unified Configuration

Reuse the same uql.config.ts for both your application bootstrap and the CLI. This ensures your app and migrations share the same settings (like Naming Strategies).

uql.config.ts

import type { Config } from 'uql-orm';
import { PgQuerierPool } from 'uql-orm/postgres';
import { User, Post } from './entities';

export default {
  pool: new PgQuerierPool({
    host: 'localhost',
    user: 'theUser',
    password: 'thePassword',
    database: 'theDatabase'
  }),
  entities: [User, Post],
  migrationsPath: './migrations',
} satisfies Config;

There is no top-level dialect field in Config: migrations and uql-migrate infer the database kind from pool.dialect.dialectName. On QuerierPool, the dialect instance is exposed as dialect (older releases used dialectInstance). The CLI validates that the default export looks like a real pool (getQuerier, transaction, withQuerier, and a dialect) via assertCliConfig from uql-orm/migrate.

By default, the CLI looks for uql.config.ts in the project root, but you can specify a custom path using the --config / -c flag.

2. Manage via CLI

Use the CLI to manage your database schema evolution.

Command	Description
generate <name>	Creates an empty timestamped file for manual SQL migrations (e.g., data backfills).
generate:entities <name>	Auto-generates a migration by diffing your entities against the current DB schema.
generate:from-db	Scaffolds Entities from an existing database. Includes Smart Relation Detection.
drift:check	Drift Detection: Compares your defined entities against the actual database schema and reports discrepancies.
up	Applies all pending migrations.
down	Rolls back the last applied migration batch.
status	Shows which migrations have been executed and which are pending.

Common Workflows

Start a new project from scratch:

# 1. Define your entities in TypeScript
# 2. Auto-generate the initial migration
npx uql-migrate generate:entities initial_schema

# 3. Apply it
npx uql-migrate up

Evolve an existing schema (add a field to your entity, then generate the diff):

# You added @Field() nickname?: string to User entity
npx uql-migrate generate:entities add_user_nickname

# Review the generated migration, then apply
npx uql-migrate up

Adopt UQL on an existing database:

# Scaffold entities from your live DB
npx uql-migrate generate:from-db --output ./src/entities

# Check if entities match the DB
npx uql-migrate drift:check

Manual migration for data backfills or custom SQL:

npx uql-migrate generate seed_default_roles
# Edit the generated file, then apply
npx uql-migrate up

Day-to-day commands:

# Check migration status
npx uql-migrate status

# Rollback the last batch
npx uql-migrate down

# Use a custom config path
npx uql-migrate up --config ./configs/uql.config.ts

Bun Users

If you are using Bun’s native SQL drivers, use BunSqlQuerierPool in your configuration to avoid installing external driver packages like pg or mysql2:

uql.config.ts

import type { Config } from 'uql-orm';
import { BunSqlQuerierPool } from 'uql-orm/bunSql';

export default {
  pool: new BunSqlQuerierPool({ url: process.env.DATABASE_URL! }),
  // entities, migrationsPath, ...
} satisfies Config;

The pool constructor takes Bun’s SQL.Options (e.g. { url }, { adapter, hostname, ... }, or SQLite filename). The migrator reads the dialect id from pool.dialect.dialectName.

When running migrations, use the --bun flag to ensure Bun’s high-performance runtime handles TypeScript resolution and native driver loading:

bun run --bun uql-migrate up

Or add a script to your package.json: "uql": "bun run --bun uql-migrate status".

3. Entity-First Synchronization (Development)

In development, you can use autoSync to automatically keep your database in sync with your entities without manual migrations. It uses the Schema AST engine to perform graph-based comparison and is safe by default, meaning it only adds missing tables and columns while blocking any destructive operations (column drops or type alterations) to prevent data loss.

Important

For autoSync to detect your entities, they must be loaded (imported) before calling autoSync.

Using Your Config (Recommended)

import { Migrator } from 'uql-orm/migrate';
import config from './uql.config.js';

const migrator = new Migrator(config.pool, {
  entities: config.entities,
});

// Automatically add missing tables and columns
await migrator.autoSync({ logging: true });

Explicit Entities

import { Migrator } from 'uql-orm/migrate';
import { User, Profile, Post } from './entities/index.js';
import { pool } from './uql.config.js';

const migrator = new Migrator(pool, {
  entities: [User, Profile, Post],
});
await migrator.autoSync({ logging: true });

Advanced Capabilities

The synchronization engine is built on a powerful Schema AST (Abstract Syntax Tree) that treats your database schema as a graph, not just a list of tables.

1. Schema AST Engine

• Graph-Based Diffing: Handles complex circular dependencies and ensures correct topological sort order when creating or dropping tables.
• 100% Accurate: Eliminates “phantom diffs” by understanding the semantic differences between dialect-specific types (e.g., INTEGER vs INT).

2. Smart Relation Detection

When scaffolding entities from an existing database (generate:from-db), UQL automatically detects relationships by analyzing your schema:

• Explicit Foreign Keys: Standard foreign keys are mapped to @OneToMany / @ManyToOne.
• One-to-One Relations: Detected when a foreign key column also has a unique constraint.
• Many-to-Many Relations: Automatically identified by detecting Junction Tables (tables with exactly two foreign keys and no other business data).
• Naming Conventions: If foreign keys are missing, UQL infers logical relations from column naming patterns like user_id → User.

3. Drift Detection

Ensure production safety with drift:check. It compares your TypeScript entity definitions against the actual running database and reports:

• Critical: Missing tables or columns, type mismatches that risk data truncation.
• Warning: Missing indexes or unexpected columns.

4. Bidirectional Index Sync

Indexes are synchronized in both directions:

• Entity → DB: @Field({ index: true }) creates an index in the database.
• DB → Entity: Existing database indexes are reflected in generated entity files.

Other Features

• 64-bit Primary Keys: Auto-increment primary keys use BIGINT across all dialects for TypeScript number compatibility.
• SQLite STRICT Mode: Tables generated for SQLite, LibSQL, and Cloudflare D1 use STRICT mode by default.
• Safe Primary Keys: Primary keys are immune to automated alterations during autoSync.
• Foreign Key Inheritance: Foreign key columns automatically inherit the exact SQL type of their referenced primary keys.

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Migration Builder API

When writing manual migrations (via generate), you have access to a fluent, type-safe API for defining your schema.

Real-World Example

A typical migration that adds a new table with relationships and modifies an existing one:

import { defineMigration, t } from 'uql-orm/migrate';

export default defineMigration({
  async up(m) {
    // Create a new table
    await m.createTable('articles', (t) => {
      t.id();                                         // BIGINT auto-increment PK
      t.string('title', { length: 200 });             // VARCHAR(200) NOT NULL
      t.string('slug', { length: 200, unique: true });
      t.text('body');                                  // TEXT NOT NULL
      t.boolean('published', { defaultValue: false });
      t.timestamp('published_at', { nullable: true });
      t.timestamp('created_at', { defaultValue: t.now() });

      // Foreign key to users table
      t.integer('author_id', {
        references: { table: 'users', column: 'id', onDelete: 'CASCADE' },
      });

      // Composite index for common queries
      t.index(['published', 'created_at']);
    });

    // Modify an existing table
    await m.alterTable('users', (t) => {
      t.addColumn('bio', (c) => c.text());
      t.addColumn('avatar_url', (c) => c.string({ length: 500 }).nullable());
      t.addIndex(['email']);
    });
  },

  async down(m) {
    // Reverse in opposite order
    await m.alterTable('users', (t) => {
      t.dropIndex('idx_users_email');
      t.dropColumn('avatar_url');
      t.dropColumn('bio');
    });

    await m.dropTable('articles');
  },
});

Comprehensive Column Types

import { defineMigration, t } from 'uql-orm/migrate';

export default defineMigration({
  async up(m) {
    await m.createTable('all_types_demo', (t) => {
      // --- Numeric Types ---
      t.id();                                              // Auto-incrementing PK (BigInt)
      t.integer('user_age', { nullable: true });
      t.smallint('status_id', { defaultValue: 0 });
      t.bigint('view_count', { defaultValue: 0n });
      t.float('rating');
      t.double('precise_score');
      t.decimal('price', { precision: 10, scale: 2 });

      // --- String Types ---
      t.string('username', { length: 50, unique: true }); // VARCHAR(50)
      t.string('email');                                   // VARCHAR(255) by default
      t.char('country_code', { length: 2 });
      t.text('bio');

      // --- Boolean ---
      t.boolean('is_active', { defaultValue: true });

      // --- Date & Time ---
      t.date('birth_date');
      t.time('daily_alarm');
      t.timestamp('created_at', { defaultValue: t.now() });
      t.timestamptz('updated_at');

      // --- JSON & Advanced ---
      t.json('settings');
      t.jsonb('metadata');                                 // Binary JSON (Postgres)
      t.uuid('external_id', { defaultValue: t.uuid() });
      t.blob('file_data');
      t.vector('embedding', { dimensions: 1536 });        // Vector for AI/ML

      // --- Relationships ---
      t.integer('author_id', {
        references: {
          table: 'users',
          column: 'id',
          onDelete: 'CASCADE',
          onUpdate: 'NO ACTION',
        },
      });

      // --- Composite Constraints ---
      t.unique(['username', 'email']);
      t.index(['is_active', 'created_at']);
      t.comment('A comprehensive demo table');
    });
  },

  async down(m) {
    await m.dropTable('all_types_demo');
  },
});

Alter Table Operations

await m.alterTable('users', (t) => {
  // Add columns
  t.addColumn('nickname', (c) => c.string({ length: 100 }));

  // Drop columns
  t.dropColumn('legacy_field');

  // Rename columns
  t.renameColumn('full_name', 'name');

  // Alter column type
  t.alterColumn('email', (c) => c.string({ length: 300 }));

  // Indexes
  t.addIndex(['nickname']);
  t.dropIndex('idx_users_old_name');

  // Foreign keys
  t.addForeignKey(['profile_id'], {
    table: 'profiles',
    columns: ['id'],
  });
  t.dropForeignKey('fk_users_legacy');
});

// Raw SQL (escape hatch)
await m.raw('CREATE VIEW active_users AS SELECT * FROM users WHERE is_active = true');

Column Options Reference

All column methods accept an optional settings object:

Option	Type	Default	Description
nullable	boolean	false	Allow NULL values? (Default is NOT NULL)
defaultValue	any	undefined	Default value (use t.now(), t.uuid() for expressions)
unique	boolean	false	Add a unique constraint
primaryKey	boolean	false	Mark as primary key
autoIncrement	boolean	false	Enable auto-increment (integers only)
index	boolean | string	false	Create an index (bool=auto-name, string=custom-name)
comment	string	-	Database comment for the column
references	object	-	Define Foreign Key (see examples above)

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Check out the getting started guide for more details on setting up your project.