Core Concepts
pgmt takes a unique approach to PostgreSQL schema management: declarative development with explicit production deployments. These concepts explain why and how.
The Core Concepts
Section titled “The Core Concepts”- Philosophy - Why pgmt is built around a schema diffing engine
- How pgmt Works - The development workflow from local iteration to production deploy
- Shadow Database - How pgmt validates changes without touching your databases
- Dependency Tracking - How pgmt ensures operations happen in the right order
Key Principles
Section titled “Key Principles”Schema Files Are Source of Truth
Section titled “Schema Files Are Source of Truth”Schema files show the current state of your database, not a chain of historical migrations. You edit them directly during development, then generate explicit migrations for production deployment.
Rebuildable from Scratch
Section titled “Rebuildable from Scratch”You can recreate your database at any time using schema files and migration files. No manual steps required.
Environment Isolation
Section titled “Environment Isolation”Development, staging, and production are completely separate. Shadow databases let you test changes safely before applying them.
Ready to get started? See the Quick Start Guide to try pgmt in practice.