Overview of Examples

The “Getting Started” section is divided into three sub-sections: “Governed Examples”, “Ungoverned Examples”, and “SQLa Preprocessor.” These sections offer insights into using SQLa for SQL generation in different contexts. Let’s take a closer look at each section:

Ungoverned Examples (full Typescript/Javascript templates)

The Ungoverned Examples section provides insights on how to use Zod-based schemas directly to generate SQL. Zod is a powerful TypeScript library that enables the definition of types and schema validations. By leveraging Zod-based schemas, you can generate SQL code based on your specific requirements without the need for a predefined governance structure. This section offers flexibility and freedom for projects that don’t require strict governance but still benefit from the strong typing and schema validations provided by Zod.

Governed Examples (full Typescript/Javascript templates)

This section showcases how to implement governed schemas in SQLa to ensure consistency, adherence to conventions, and robust SQL generation. Governed schemas leverage the integration between Zod and SQLa to create a powerful infrastructure for generating SQL statements. By defining governed schemas, you can enforce governance rules, maintain information model and data model consistency, and benefit from the type-safety and validation capabilities provided by Zod.

Within this section, you will explore practical examples that demonstrate the usage of governed schemas in SQLa. These governed schemas act as wrappers around Zod schemas, allowing for seamless integration with SQLa’s SQL generation capabilities. They provide a structured approach to SQL generation, incorporating naming conventions, primary key conventions, and other rules that ensure standardized and high-quality SQL code.

By following the governed approach, you can establish consistent patterns for SQL generation and enforce predefined rules within your SQLa projects. Governed schemas provide a solid foundation for maintaining integrity and conformity across information models and data models, resulting in reliable and scalable SQL generation workflows.

The integration between Zod and SQLa enables the extension of Zod types, such as strings, numbers, dates, and more, to incorporate additional metadata and content needed for generating SQL statements. This integration ensures that Zod structures seamlessly integrate within SQLa’s ecosystem, enabling the generation of SQL code directly from the defined governed schemas.

In summary, the governed examples in this section demonstrate how to leverage governed schemas in SQLa to establish consistency, adhere to conventions, and enforce rules within your SQL generation workflow. By combining the power of Zod and SQLa, you can achieve type-safety, maintain standardized SQL generation practices, and ensure the integrity of your generated SQL code.

SQLpp Preprocess (for migrating existing SQL files)

If you have existing SQL files that need to be re-used, check out SQLa’s SQLpp (SQL preprocessor) which serves as an intermediary stepping stone in the progression from raw SQL to complex SQL generation.

For developers starting with raw SQL or DBAs that are not developers, jumping directly into the deep end with sophisticated SQL generators might be a daunting challenge. SQLpp, with its simpler templating and basic functionalities like include statements and variable setting, provides a more gradual transition.

It allows users to enhance their SQL scripting capabilities beyond raw SQL, without the immediate complexity of full-scale SQL generators. This enables a smoother learning curve, building confidence and familiarity with SQL scripting conventions before progressing to more advanced SQL generation techniques.

This phased approach also allows developers to appreciate and better understand the nuances and power of SQL generation, ultimately resulting in more effective and efficient SQL operations when they transition to using full-fledged SQL generators.

Mix and Match

By exploring the SQLpp, Governed Examples and Ungoverned Examples sections, you can gain a comprehensive understanding of how to utilize SQLa for SQL generation in different scenarios. Whether you need to enforce governance and consistency or require flexibility with schema definitions, SQLa provides the necessary tools and features to streamline your SQL generation workflow and ensure high-quality SQL code. And if you just need some minimal templating capabilities while you learn the full power of Typescript and Javascript templates you can start with SQLpp.