prisma migrate vs generate

Difference between prisma db push and prisma migrate dev

stackoverflow.com › questions › 68539836 › difference-between-prisma-db-push-and-prisma-migrate-dev

They serve two different environments. The prisma db push is not to be used in your production environment, as stated in the docs

db push uses the same engine as Prisma Migrate to synchronize your Prisma schema with your database schema, and is best suited for schema prototyping. The db push command:

Introspects the database to infer and executes the changes required to make your database schema reflect the state of your Prisma schema.

By default, after changes have been applied to the database schema, generators are triggered (for example, Prisma Client). You do not need to manually invoke prisma generate.

If db push anticipates that the changes could result in data loss, it will:

Throw an error

Require the --accept-data-loss option if you still want to make the changes

Note: db push does not interact with or rely on migrations. The migrations table will not be updated, and no migration files will be generated.

The prisma migrate dev is used in you local environment, as explained in the docs

migrate dev is a development command and should never be used in a production environment.

This command:

Replays the existing migration history in the shadow database in order to detect schema drift (edited or deleted migration file, or a manual changes to the database schema)

Applies pending migrations to the shadow database (for example, new migrations created by colleagues)

Generates a new migration from any changes you made to the Prisma schema before running migrate dev

Applies all unapplied migrations to the development database and updates the _prisma_migrations table

Triggers the generation of artifacts (for example, the Prisma Client)

The migrate dev command will prompt you to reset the database in the following scenarios:

Migration history conflicts caused by modified or missing migrations

The database schema has drifted away from the end-state of the migration history

If you have any other question regarding this, there is this comparison in the docs explaining when to use one or the other.

Answer from Daniel Olavio Ferreira on Stack Overflow

Softpost

softpost.org › prisma › difference-between-prisma-migrate-and-prisma-generate

difference between prisma migrate and prisma generate

Prisma migrate is used for managing database migrations in your development environment and prisma generate is used to create prisma client

Prisma

prisma.io › home › overview of prisma migrate › overview of prisma migrate

Prisma Migrate: Database, Schema, SQL Migration Tool | Prisma Documentation

Declarative: The data model is described in a declarative way in the Prisma schema. Prisma Migrate generates SQL migration files from that data model.

Discussions

Difference between prisma db push and prisma migrate dev - Stack Overflow

You do not need to manually invoke prisma generate. If db push anticipates that the changes could result in data loss, it will: ... Note: db push does not interact with or rely on migrations. More on stackoverflow.com

stackoverflow.com

Correct pattern of Generating Migrations

I am using prisma with postgres. I have a fresh DB, starting from scratch. I add a new schema to the schema.prisma file. I run prisma generate. It succeeds, tells me I can start using the client in... More on github.com

github.com

2

1

How do I use Prisma without having to wipe my database all the time?

Think of it like this: You have a table with some users, none of which have a last name. Now you update schema.prisma with a required column called lastName, without a default value. How should Prisma handle the migration for you? Since Prisma can't guess the last name of every user, the only reasonable thing it can do is to ask you to recreate the data—which means resetting that table. To work around that, you need two migrations. You first set the column's default value to a placeholder—ensuring every row has a value. You then make a second migration where you remove the default value. This is, of course, just one of many reasons for why Prisma would want to reset a table, or sometimes even the whole database (if the effect is large enough). Prisma migrations are great, and they make life so much easier! But you still need to consider how they are applied and design your database accordingly: Prisma won't be able to magically solve the logical impossibilities that may occur otherwise. So, just like with everything else in programming, you need to be careful and considerate, and the more you practice; the easier it gets. I think Prisma sometimes overpromises on "making database design easy". It sure makes it easier, but you still need to think about what's going on behind the scenes. The way it abstracts the database design behind a neat little schema—together with its automatic migrations—can sometimes make you miss the forest for all the trees. More on reddit.com

r/node

39

34

December 5, 2023

For those who use Prisma, do you use prisma migration deploy in production?

Hi 👋🏽 Alex here from the Prisma team. Ideally, it would be best to run prisma migrate deploy as part of your CI/CD pipeline when deploying your application to production. The prisma migrate deploy command will: Compare the applied changes with your current migrations history Apply any pending migrations to sync your Prisma schema with your database schema. Here's a fairly simple example of how this would look like with a GitHub Action: name: test on: push branches: - main jobs: steps: - uses: actions/checkout@v2 - uses: actions/setup-node@v3 with: node-version: '16' - run: npm install - run: npm run build - run: npx prisma migrate deploy This assumes you've set the DATABASE_URL environment variable in the Action. We also have docs on Deploying database changes with Prisma Migrate you can also refer to. We also have a workshop on Deep dive into database workflows with Prisma Migrate which you might also find resourceful. 🙂 More on reddit.com

r/node

11

33

July 14, 2022

Videos

00:59

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Prisma Makes Migrations so Easy! #prisma #nodejs #shorts - YouTube

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05:44

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How to Customize Migrations with Prisma - YouTube

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Prisma Migrations: A Step-by-Step Guide - YouTube

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Mastering Prisma Migrations Made EASY

prisma.io

Prisma Migrate: Database, Schema, SQL Migration Tool | Prisma ...

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GitHub

github.com › prisma › prisma › discussions › 24571

How should migration be done to Production? · prisma/prisma · Discussion #24571

However, this should be followed by creating a migration to capture these changes. ... Make Changes to schema.prisma: Update your schema.prisma file with the desired changes. Generate and Apply Migrations: Use the prisma migrate dev command to generate and apply migrations during development with npx prisma migrate dev.

Author prisma

Adapting a single migration to include data creation/manipulation · prisma/prisma · Discussion #21479

Run migrations and seeds through the Prisma client · Issue #28904 · prisma/prisma Dec 11, 2025

7mo ago

prisma migrations in production · prisma/prisma · Discussion #17213

Prisma Multiple Schema Migrations · Issue #24491 · prisma/prisma Jun 11, 2024

2y ago

How to use migrations? · prisma/prisma · Discussion #19243

More results from github.com

Prisma

prisma.io › home › getting started with prisma migrate › getting started with prisma migrate › getting started with prisma migrate

Getting started with Prisma Migrate | Prisma Documentation

Create an initial migration using the prisma migrate command: ... This will generate a migration with the appropriate commands for your database.

Prisma

prisma.io › migrate

Prisma Migrate | Database Migrations for Prisma ORM

Prisma Migrate generates migrations based on changes in the Prisma schema – a human-readable declarative definition of your database schema.

Stack Overflow

stackoverflow.com › questions › 68539836 › difference-between-prisma-db-push-and-prisma-migrate-dev

Difference between prisma db push and prisma migrate dev - Stack Overflow

Top answer

1 of 4

19

They serve two different environments. The prisma db push is not to be used in your production environment, as stated in the docs

db push uses the same engine as Prisma Migrate to synchronize your Prisma schema with your database schema, and is best suited for schema prototyping. The db push command:

Introspects the database to infer and executes the changes required to make your database schema reflect the state of your Prisma schema.

By default, after changes have been applied to the database schema, generators are triggered (for example, Prisma Client). You do not need to manually invoke prisma generate.

If db push anticipates that the changes could result in data loss, it will:

Throw an error

Require the --accept-data-loss option if you still want to make the changes

Note: db push does not interact with or rely on migrations. The migrations table will not be updated, and no migration files will be generated.

The prisma migrate dev is used in you local environment, as explained in the docs

migrate dev is a development command and should never be used in a production environment.

This command:

Replays the existing migration history in the shadow database in order to detect schema drift (edited or deleted migration file, or a manual changes to the database schema)

Applies pending migrations to the shadow database (for example, new migrations created by colleagues)

Generates a new migration from any changes you made to the Prisma schema before running migrate dev

Applies all unapplied migrations to the development database and updates the _prisma_migrations table

Triggers the generation of artifacts (for example, the Prisma Client)

The migrate dev command will prompt you to reset the database in the following scenarios:

Migration history conflicts caused by modified or missing migrations

The database schema has drifted away from the end-state of the migration history

If you have any other question regarding this, there is this comparison in the docs explaining when to use one or the other.

2 of 4

11

Prisma db push syncs (and formats) your prisma schema to that of your database schema.
While prisma migrate dev "command automatically generates SQL migration files (saved in /prisma/migrations) and applies them to the database".

The main difference between both is the generation of the migration files.

Prisma

prisma.io › home › development and production › development and production › development and production › development and production

Development and production | Prisma Documentation

Does not detect drift (production database schema differs from migration history end state - for example, due to a hotfix) Does not reset the database or generate artifacts (such as Prisma Client)

Find elsewhere

Google Bing Mojeek

GitHub

github.com › prisma › prisma › discussions › 12685

Correct pattern of Generating Migrations · prisma/prisma · Discussion #12685

Author prisma

Top answer

1 of 1

2

Hey @Taklop 👋 ,

Is the flow to:
Edit the schema file
Run npx prisma migrate dev
(Ensure the generated migration folder is in VC)
Deploy to CI CD
Use the migrate deploy to apply those dev generated migrations

This is correct and is the intended workflow for using Migrate. Our docs page on Migrate outlines a lot more info, if you're curious.

If this is the case, what is the purpose of the db push?

prisma db push does not generate any migration files and prioritizes the desired end state of a schema. It is mostly used for prototyping where a migration history is not necessary or wanted yet.

If I can clarify anything further, let me know.

Kitemetric

kitemetric.com › blogs › mastering-prisma-migrations-dev-vs-deploy

Mastering Prisma Migrations: Dev vs. Deploy | Kite Metric

Schema Drift Detection: Compares your schema.prisma with the database. Discrepancies are identified, highlighting potential issues. Migration File Generation: Creates a SQL migration file (e.g., in prisma/migrations).

Prisma

prisma.io › home › dev › dev › dev

prisma migrate dev | Create & Apply Migrations | Prisma Documentation

Create and apply migrations during development with prisma migrate dev. Uses shadow database. Generates migration from schema changes.

Medium

medium.com › @bryantbrock › data-migrations-with-prisma-94909cb0c0c0

Data migrations with Prisma. For production applications (and… | by Bryant Brock | Medium

December 19, 2023 - Be sure to cover all your basis; grep your codebase many times to make sure you are correctly reading from the right columns. You should see error messages if you are still reading from the old columns after you have re-generated your Prisma Client (w/ the added @ignore attributes) since they won’t be recognized.

reddit.com › r/node › how do i use prisma without having to wipe my database all the time?

r/node on Reddit: How do I use Prisma without having to wipe my database all the time?

December 5, 2023 -

I'm using Prisma for a large project I've been working on for the past few months, and I still don't understand the flow of it. At first I was migrating every time I made a change to my schema, and constantly getting the "All data will be lost" prompt. Since then I've learned to use `db push` while developing and then migrate when a feature is finished, but it's still constantly making me reset my database.

Right now I'm using the same db for dev and staging (because I don't want to pay for 2 different ones) but I'd imagine this would still be an issue if I had separate databases. What do I need to do to stop being forced to reset my db? Or, at least, how would I migrate my development db to mirror my production db without it being wiped?

As you can probably tell, this is my first time working with Prisma (or any ORM, in depth) so this might be a stupid question, but I can't find much online besides general tutorials. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Top answer

1 of 5

23

Think of it like this: You have a table with some users, none of which have a last name. Now you update schema.prisma with a required column called lastName, without a default value. How should Prisma handle the migration for you? Since Prisma can't guess the last name of every user, the only reasonable thing it can do is to ask you to recreate the data—which means resetting that table. To work around that, you need two migrations. You first set the column's default value to a placeholder—ensuring every row has a value. You then make a second migration where you remove the default value. This is, of course, just one of many reasons for why Prisma would want to reset a table, or sometimes even the whole database (if the effect is large enough). Prisma migrations are great, and they make life so much easier! But you still need to consider how they are applied and design your database accordingly: Prisma won't be able to magically solve the logical impossibilities that may occur otherwise. So, just like with everything else in programming, you need to be careful and considerate, and the more you practice; the easier it gets. I think Prisma sometimes overpromises on "making database design easy". It sure makes it easier, but you still need to think about what's going on behind the scenes. The way it abstracts the database design behind a neat little schema—together with its automatic migrations—can sometimes make you miss the forest for all the trees.

blog.logrocket.com › home › effortless database schema migration with prisma

Effortless database schema migration with Prisma - LogRocket Blog

June 4, 2024 - You can use prisma migrate dev --create-only to create the migration file, and manually modify it to address the underlying issue(s). Then run prisma migrate dev to apply it and verify it works. This is primarily because we have one or more rows in the users table and the migration generated by Prisma is potentially destructive.

Prisma

prisma.io › home › understanding migrations › understanding migrations › understanding migrations › understanding migrations

A mental model for Prisma Migrate | Prisma Documentation

The prisma migrate dev command allows you to track the changes you make to your database. The prisma migrate dev command automatically generates SQL migration files (saved in /prisma/migrations) and applies them to the database.

reddit.com › r/node › for those who use prisma, do you use prisma migration deploy in production?

r/node on Reddit: For those who use Prisma, do you use prisma migration deploy in production?

July 14, 2022 -

I'm doing a personal project, deploying my back end into aws Fargate and database postgres in RDS. Never used migrations before (others project we runned the sql command into database, I don't if this is a bad practice haha, but it is how it was), and I got to the point where, where/how I am supposed to run the migration deploy in the pipeline? I thought in, for now, just run the migrations generated into the database, as I am used.

So, there's a default procedure?

Top answer

1 of 1

21

Hi 👋🏽 Alex here from the Prisma team. Ideally, it would be best to run prisma migrate deploy as part of your CI/CD pipeline when deploying your application to production. The prisma migrate deploy command will: Compare the applied changes with your current migrations history Apply any pending migrations to sync your Prisma schema with your database schema. Here's a fairly simple example of how this would look like with a GitHub Action: name: test on: push branches: - main jobs: steps: - uses: actions/checkout@v2 - uses: actions/setup-node@v3 with: node-version: '16' - run: npm install - run: npm run build - run: npx prisma migrate deploy This assumes you've set the DATABASE_URL environment variable in the Action. We also have docs on Deploying database changes with Prisma Migrate you can also refer to. We also have a workshop on Deep dive into database workflows with Prisma Migrate which you might also find resourceful. 🙂

PlanetScale

planetscale.com › guides › frameworks and orms › prisma › automatic prisma migrations

Automatic Prisma migrations - PlanetScale

2 weeks ago - We recommend prisma db push over prisma migrate dev for the following reasons: PlanetScale provides Online Schema Changes that are deployed automatically when you merge a deploy request and prevents blocking schema changes that can lead to downtime. This is different from the typical Prisma workflow which uses prisma migrate in order to generate SQL migrations for you based on changes in your Prisma schema.

DEV Community

dev.to › this-is-learning › its-prisma-time-migrations-7pk

It's Prisma Time - Migrations - DEV Community

February 2, 2022 - npx prisma migrate dev --name rename_author_columns --create-only · This command generates the new migration file but now we have to edit it to avoid data loss.

Prisma

prisma.io › home › customizing migrations › customizing migrations › customizing migrations › customizing migrations

Customizing migrations | Prisma Documentation

To actually rename a field and avoid data loss when you run the migration in production, you need to modify the generated migration SQL before applying it to the database.

Prisma

prisma.io › home › migrate › migrate

prisma migrate | Database Migration Commands | Prisma Documentation

Create and apply database migrations with Prisma. migrate dev for development, migrate deploy for production, status, resolve, diff, and reset.

Fig

fig.io › manual › prisma › migrate › dev

prisma migrate dev | Fig

The migrate dev command updates your database using migrations files during development