Schema Migration

Keeping your sanity when changing models

Gems

  • You don’t need to use Django tools to do it. Consider sqlalchemy-migrate
  • Question: Will South get brought into core? Not until more thought has been given and products mature nicely.

The problem with the Django ORM

  • manage.py syncdb doesn’t alter tables
  • manage.py reset just deletes tables
  • SQL Shell doesn’t record any changes.
  • SQL scripts are problematic
  • Forgetting migrations!
  • Track migrations
  • Need to be able to go forwards and backwards
  • Keep multiple developers in sync, just like good source control

The main lesson

  • You have to have a tool
  • Once started, you always have to use the SQL tool

Django Migrations Tools?

  • Nothing in core
  • options Jacob knows about
    • deseb
    • django-evolutions
    • dmigrations
    • migratory
    • south
    • yadsel
    • sqlalchemy-migrate looks good.

Django-Evolutions

  • About 2 years old
  • Works with syncdb
  • Applies (some) evolutions automatically. Kind of terrifying!
  • Write evolutions in Python or SQL
  • Requires some care in workflow especially in a team
  • Lead by Django core contributor (Russ Keith-McGee)

South

  • 1 year old
  • disables syncdb; migrations from the start
  • supports auto-generation
  • Python only
  • works for data migrations
  • good for teams
  • At this time is the recommended system.
  • South lets you control dependencies