Which ORMs and tools are supported?

The skill provides specific implementation patterns for Prisma, Drizzle, Django, TypeORM, and golang-migrate, as well as raw SQL for PostgreSQL and MySQL.

Can this skill help with database rollbacks?

Yes, it provides guidance on writing reversible migrations and emphasizes that in production environments, rollbacks should typically be handled as new forward-moving migrations.

What is the Expand-Contract pattern?

It is a multi-phase deployment strategy where you add new fields, migrate data, and only remove old fields once the application code has been fully transitioned to the new structure.

Does it handle data migrations differently than schema changes?

Yes, it promotes the separation of DDL (schema) and DML (data) migrations and provides batched update logic to prevent long-running transactions and memory issues.

How does this skill help with production safety?

It enforces patterns like adding nullable columns first and using concurrent index creation to avoid table locks that cause application downtime.

Database Migration Patterns

Name: Database Migration Patterns
Author: flatrick

byflatrick

0•

Database Management

Implements safe, zero-downtime database schema changes and data migrations using industry-standard best practices and ORM patterns.

This skill provides Claude with specialized knowledge to manage complex database transitions across multiple platforms like PostgreSQL, MySQL, and popular ORMs including Prisma, Drizzle, and Django. It enforces critical safety standards such as the expand-contract pattern, concurrent indexing, and the strict separation of DDL and DML operations to ensure production stability. Whether you are adding columns to high-traffic tables or refactoring legacy data, this skill guides you through creating reversible, non-blocking migrations that prevent downtime and data loss.

Key Features

010 GitHub stars

02Tool-specific workflows for Prisma, Drizzle, Django, and golang-migrate

03Concurrent indexing patterns for high-traffic PostgreSQL and MySQL tables

04Safe data backfilling techniques with batching and progress tracking

05Migration safety checklists to prevent full table locks and production errors

06Zero-downtime schema update strategies using the Expand-Contract pattern

Use Cases

01Setting up robust migration workflows for new projects using modern ORMs and migration tools

02Renaming columns or changing table structures on production databases without service interruption

03Automating complex data migrations for millions of rows using batched update logic

What are Skills?·How to Install

Install with 🐟 Skill.Fish

npx skillfish add flatrick/mdt database-migrations

For use in Claude.ai and ChatGPT