Database Setup

RocketFuel uses Drizzle ORM with PostgreSQL for database management. This guide covers setup, schema management, and common patterns.

PostgreSQL Options

Choose a PostgreSQL provider that fits your needs:

Local Development

Docker
Native Install

docker run --name postgres \
  -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=password \
  -e POSTGRES_DB=myapp \
  -p 5432:5432 \
  -d postgres

Connection string:

DATABASE_URL="postgresql://postgres:password@localhost:5432/myapp"

Install PostgreSQL using your system package manager, then:

createdb myapp

Connection string:

DATABASE_URL="postgresql://localhost:5432/myapp"

Cloud Providers

Provider	Best For
Neon	Serverless, auto-scaling
Supabase	Full backend platform
Railway	Simple deployments
PlanetScale	MySQL alternative with branching

Schema Management

The Schema File

Your database schema is defined in src/server/db/schema.ts:

import { pgTable, text, timestamp, boolean } from "drizzle-orm/pg-core";

export const user = pgTable("user", {
  id: text("id").primaryKey(),
  name: text("name").notNull(),
  email: text("email").notNull().unique(),
  emailVerified: boolean("email_verified").notNull(),
  image: text("image"),
  createdAt: timestamp("created_at").notNull(),
  updatedAt: timestamp("updated_at").notNull(),
});

Pushing Schema Changes

During development, use push for rapid iteration:

npx drizzle-kit push

Using Migrations

For production deployments:

Generate migration
Terminal window
```
npx drizzle-kit generate
```
This creates a SQL migration file in drizzle/.
Review the migration

Check the generated SQL before applying.
Apply migration
Terminal window
```
npx drizzle-kit migrate
```

Drizzle Studio

Inspect your database with the built-in GUI:

npx drizzle-kit studio

Opens at https://local.drizzle.studio.

Querying Data

Basic Queries

import { db } from "@/server/db";
import { user } from "@/server/db/schema";
import { eq } from "drizzle-orm";

// Select all
const users = await db.select().from(user);

// Select with filter
const activeUsers = await db
  .select()
  .from(user)
  .where(eq(user.emailVerified, true));

// Insert
await db.insert(user).values({
  id: "user_123",
  name: "John Doe",
  email: "john@example.com",
  emailVerified: false,
  createdAt: new Date(),
  updatedAt: new Date(),
});

// Update
await db
  .update(user)
  .set({ emailVerified: true })
  .where(eq(user.id, "user_123"));

// Delete
await db.delete(user).where(eq(user.id, "user_123"));