Get started with modular databases in minutes. Install prerequisites and deploy your first module.

Quickstart: Getting Up and Running

Set up Node.js, PostgreSQL, and pgpm. Everything you need to get started with modular database development.

Prerequisites

Experience the power of modular databases by installing a pre-built module and deploying it to PostgreSQL—no SQL writing required.

Spinning Up a Modular Database in 2 Minutes

Learn to organize PostgreSQL projects with pgpm workspaces and reusable database modules.

Modular PostgreSQL Development with Database Packages

Understand how pgpm workspaces bring npm-style modularity to PostgreSQL development.

pgpm Workspaces: A New Way to Organize PostgreSQL Projects

Set up your first pgpm workspace with proper configuration and structure.

Initializing a Workspace for Modular PostgreSQL Development

Build your first database module with deploy, revert, and verify scripts.

Creating Your First PostgreSQL Database Module

Write and run tests for your database module with watch mode for rapid feedback.

Testing Your Database Module

Master module dependencies, cross-module references, and automatic dependency resolution.

Managing Database Package Dependencies in a Workspace

Master the workflow for adding, organizing, and managing database changes with pgpm.

Authoring Database Changes

Learn the fundamental workflow for adding database changes using the pgpm add command and the three-file pattern for safe, reversible migrations.

Adding Your First Database Change

Structure migrations using nested paths for maintainable schemas.

Change Naming Conventions

Understand the plan file format and how pgpm generates deployment plans from SQL dependencies.

Plan Files and Deployment Plans

Master end-to-end PostgreSQL testing with ephemeral databases, RLS testing, and CI/CD automation.

End-to-End Postgres Testing with TypeScript

Create ephemeral PostgreSQL databases for testing with pgsql-test. Fast, isolated, and automatically cleaned up.

Spinning Up Temporary Testing Databases for Postgres

Test RLS policies by simulating different users and roles. Verify that your security policies actually work as intended.

How to Test Row-Level Security (RLS) in PostgreSQL

Test complex multi-user scenarios by switching between users within tests. Master the savepoint pattern to handle exceptions and aborted transactions when testing operations that should fail.

Advanced RLS Testing Scenarios - Simulating Many Users and Roles

Learn how to seed test databases with realistic data using loadJson, loadSql, and loadCsv methods for comprehensive testing scenarios.

Seeding PostgreSQL Test Databases

TypeScript-native testing for Supabase with modern workflows.

End-to-End Postgres Testing with Supabase

Introducing Supabase Test Suite: TypeScript-native testing for Supabase with isolated databases, RLS testing, and instant feedback loops.

Supabase Testing for the Modern Developer

Get started with supabase-test: install dependencies, configure local Supabase, and write your first isolated database test with automatic rollbacks.

Setting Up Local Supabase Database Testing

Create your first Supabase test with supabase-test's getConnections(), understand test isolation, and verify your setup with simple database queries.

Writing Your First Supabase Test in TypeScript

Test Supabase RLS policies by simulating authenticated users and anonymous access. Verify your security policies work as intended with supabase-test.

Testing Row-Level Security Policies in Supabase

Learn how to seed Supabase test databases with auth.users, realistic data using loadJson, loadSql, and loadCsv methods for comprehensive testing.

Seeding Supabase Test Databases

Set up GitHub Actions CI/CD pipeline to automatically test your Supabase database with every commit. Learn how to configure workflows, start Supabase, and run tests.

Running Supabase Tests in GitHub Actions

Automate Supabase testing in GitHub Actions: provision local Supabase stack, run tests in CI, and optimize for fast feedback loops.

Troubleshooting Supabase Test

Learn to test PostgreSQL databases with Drizzle ORM, including RLS policies and context management.

End-to-End Postgres Testing with Drizzle ORM

Set up Drizzle ORM with drizzle-orm-test for PostgreSQL testing. Create type-safe database queries with automatic test isolation.

How to Setup Drizzle ORM for End-to-End Testing

Test RLS policies with Drizzle ORM using automatic context management. Verify security policies with type-safe queries.

Testing Row-Level Security with Drizzle ORM

Common issues and solutions for pgpm, PostgreSQL, and testing.

Troubleshooting

Quick fixes for common pgpm, PostgreSQL, and testing issues.

Common Issues and Solutions


> **Previously:** In [Change Naming Conventions](./organizing-database-changes-with-nested-paths), we learned how to organize changes with nested paths. Now let's explore plan files and how pgpm generates them.

The plan file tracks every change in your module. pgpm can automatically generate it from your SQL files, or you can manage it manually with `pgpm add`.

## Plan File Format

Every module has a `pgpm.plan` file:

```sh
%syntax-version=1.0.0
%project=pets
%uri=https://github.com/example/pets

schemas/pets 2025-11-14T10:00:00Z Dan Lynch <dan@example.com>
schemas/pets/tables/pets [schemas/pets] 2025-11-14T10:15:00Z Dan Lynch <dan@example.com>
schemas/pets/tables/adoptions [schemas/pets/tables/pets] 2025-11-14T10:30:00Z Dan Lynch <dan@example.com>
```

Format: `change_name [dependencies] timestamp author <email> # optional note`

## Two Workflows

### Production: Add Changes Incrementally

```bash
pgpm add schemas/pets
pgpm add schemas/pets/tables/pets --requires schemas/pets
pgpm add schemas/pets/tables/adoptions --requires schemas/pets/tables/pets
```

pgpm updates the plan file automatically. Add changes like commits in version control.

### Pre-Production: Generate from SQL

Write SQL first for more flexibility. Add `-- requires:` comments:

```sql
-- Deploy schemas/pets/tables/adoptions
-- requires: schemas/pets/tables/pets

CREATE TABLE pets.adoptions (
  id UUID PRIMARY KEY,
  pet_id UUID REFERENCES pets.pets(id)
);
```

Then generate the plan:

```bash
pgpm plan
```

pgpm scans your SQL files, builds the dependency graph, and updates `pgpm.plan`.

> **Note:** `pgpm plan` regenerates the entire plan. In production, use `pgpm add` to append changes without regenerating history.

## Key Takeaways

- `pgpm add` adds changes manually to the plan
- `pgpm plan` auto-generates plans from `-- requires:` comments in SQL
- Use `pgpm add` for production, `pgpm plan` for early development