Database Migrate

Generate and apply database migration scripts from schema changes.

When to Use This Skill

Use when the user modifies database models and needs to create a migration, or when applying pending migrations to an environment.

Implementation Steps

Step 1: Detect Migration Tool

Check the project for migration tooling:

1. alembic.ini → Alembic (Python / SQLAlchemy)
2. knexfile.js → Knex (Node.js)
3. dbconfig.yml → Goose (Go)

Step 2: Generate Migration

Create a new migration file from the current model diff:

• Alembic: alembic revision --autogenerate -m "$DESCRIPTION"
• Knex: npx knex migrate:make $DESCRIPTION
• Goose: goose create $DESCRIPTION sql

Step 3: Review the Migration

Display the generated SQL and ask the user to confirm:

• Check for destructive operations (DROP TABLE, DROP COLUMN)
• Verify index additions won't lock large tables
• Confirm data backfill steps are idempotent

Step 4: Apply

Run the migration against the target database:

• Alembic: alembic upgrade head
• Knex: npx knex migrate:latest
• Goose: goose up

Report the migration version and any errors.