Schema Management & ER Diagrams

While knowing how to write ALTER TABLE statements is essential, Tabularis provides visual tools to manage your schema quickly, safely, and comprehensively.

Visual Schema Editor

The left sidebar is a fully interactive management suite. Right-click any table to enter the Schema Editor.

Modifying Structures

• Columns: Add, rename, or drop columns. Change data types using engine-specific dropdowns (e.g., selecting VARCHAR, TEXT, or JSONB in Postgres).
• Constraints: Visually toggle NOT NULL, UNIQUE, and PRIMARY KEY constraints. Set default values with a simple text input.
• Indexes: Manage b-tree, hash, or spatial indexes to optimize query performance.
• Foreign Keys: Define relationships. Select the target table and column, and specify cascading rules (ON DELETE CASCADE, ON UPDATE RESTRICT).

Safe DDL Generation

When you make visual changes, Tabularis does not apply them blindly. It compiles your actions into a set of precise DDL (CREATE, ALTER, DROP) statements and presents them in a preview window. You can review the exact SQL that will run, copy it for version control migrations, or click "Apply" to execute it.

Auto-Generated ER Diagrams

Understanding a new, undocumented database can be daunting. Tabularis includes a powerful ER (Entity-Relationship) Diagram generator that maps out complex databases in seconds.

The Layout Engine

Tabularis utilizes the Dagre layout engine to automatically calculate visually pleasing representations of your schema.

• Tables are rendered as nodes, showing primary keys and column types.
• Foreign keys are rendered as directional edges connecting the exact columns.
• The engine uses a Sugiyama-style hierarchical layout to minimize crossing lines, making the data flow visually obvious.

Interaction

• Zoom & Pan: The canvas is infinite, easily handling schemas with hundreds of tables.
• Highlighting: Hover over a specific table to highlight all its incoming and outgoing relationships, fading the rest of the diagram into the background.
• Export: Export the generated diagram as a high-resolution SVG or PNG for use in documentation or presentations.