Database Migrations
This directory contains database migrations for the ATCR AppView database.
Schema vs Migrations
schema.sql (in parent directory) contains the complete base schema for fresh database installations. It includes all tables, indexes, and constraints.
Migrations (this directory) handle changes to existing databases. They are only for:
ALTER TABLEstatements (add/modify/drop columns)UPDATEstatements (data transformations)DELETEstatements (data cleanup)- Creating/modifying indexes on existing tables
NEW TABLES go in schema.sql, NOT in migrations.
Migration Format
Each migration is a YAML file with the following structure:
description: Optional human-readable description of what this migration does
query: |
SQL commands to apply the migration
Version and name are parsed from the filename, so you don't need to specify them in the YAML.
Naming Convention
Migration files must be named: {version:04d}_{migration_name}.yaml
The filename determines:
- Version: Numeric prefix (e.g.,
0001→ version 1) - Name: Everything after first underscore (e.g.,
add_repository_labels→ "add repository labels")
Examples:
0001_remove_star_count_from_repository_stats.yaml→ version 1, name "remove star count from repository stats"0002_add_repository_labels.yaml→ version 2, name "add repository labels"0003_create_webhooks_table.yaml→ version 3, name "create webhooks table"
Creating a New Migration
- Choose the next version number - Look at existing migrations and increment by 1
- Create a new YAML file with format
000N_descriptive_name.yaml - Add description (optional) - Explain what the migration does
- Write your SQL in
query- Use the|block scalar for clean multi-line SQL - Use
IF EXISTS/IF NOT EXISTSwhere possible for idempotency
Examples
Adding a column to existing table:
Filename: 0007_add_readme_url_to_manifests.yaml
description: Add readme_url column to manifests table for storing io.atcr.readme annotation
query: |
ALTER TABLE manifests ADD COLUMN readme_url TEXT;
IMPORTANT: After creating this migration, also add the column to schema.sql so fresh installations include it!
Data transformation migration:
Filename: 0005_normalize_hold_endpoint_to_did.yaml
description: Normalize hold_endpoint column to store DIDs instead of URLs
query: |
-- Convert HTTPS URLs to did:web: format
UPDATE manifests
SET hold_endpoint = 'did:web:' || substr(hold_endpoint, 9)
WHERE hold_endpoint LIKE 'https://%';
-- Convert HTTP URLs to did:web: format
UPDATE manifests
SET hold_endpoint = 'did:web:' || substr(hold_endpoint, 8)
WHERE hold_endpoint LIKE 'http://%';
Adding an index to existing table:
Filename: 0008_add_repository_description_index.yaml
description: Add index on manifests description field for faster searches
query: |
CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_manifests_description ON manifests(description);
How Migrations Run
- Migrations are loaded from this directory on startup
- Sorted by version number (ascending)
- Each migration is checked against the
schema_migrationstable - Only unapplied migrations are executed
- After successful execution, the version is recorded in
schema_migrations
Important Notes
- Never modify existing migrations - Once applied, they're immutable
- Test migrations before committing - Ensure they work on existing databases
- Version numbers must be unique - The migration system will fail if duplicates exist
- Migrations run automatically on
InitDB()- Schema first, then migrations - CRITICAL: Update
schema.sqlfor structural changes - When you ALTER a table or add columns, update both the migration ANDschema.sqlso fresh installations have the same structure - New tables go in
schema.sqlonly - Don't create migration files for new tables