Databranch implements database branching in development and test by cloning the database automatically, supplementing Git branching workflow. This prevents situations where the database becomes stale due to schema or data inconsistencies between git branches. It automates the process of creating and deleting branch database copies by hooking into git.
Add this line to your application's Gemfile:
gem 'databranch'And then execute:
$ bundle
Run the databranch install rake task to install the initializer and git hooks:
$ rake databranch:install
Finally, update your database.yml file to point your development and test databases to databranch environment variables:
development:
<<: *default
database: <%= ENV['DATABRANCH_DEVELOPMENT'] %>
test:
<<: *default
database: <%= ENV['DATABRANCH_TEST'] %>Note: Databranch currently only works with Rails and PostgreSQL. It's developed for Rails 5 but will probably work with some older versions as well (untested).
Databranch does the rest for you. When you checkout a new branch it will automatically copy the schema and data of the database corresponding to your existing branch to a new database that corresponds to the newly created branch for development and test.
When you git commit, databranch checks to find databases that correspond to deleted branches and asks you if you'd like to delete them.
Add tests.
Persist user preferences regarding specific database deletion. Perhaps add them to a file (investigate using PStore), then when running the post commit hook check to see whether or not the database itself has been deleted. If it has, remove the name.
Bug reports and pull requests are welcome on GitHub at https://github.com/GuruKhalsa/databranch.
The gem is available as open source under the terms of the MIT License.