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PlanetScale CLI commands: database

Use the PlanetScale CLI “database” command to create, read, delete, dump, and restore databases from your terminal.

Getting Started

Make sure to first set up your PlanetScale developer environment. Once you've installed the pscale CLI, you can interact with PlanetScale and manage your databases straight from the command line.

The database command

This command allows you to create, read, delete, dump, and restore databases.

Usage:

Terminal
pscale database <SUB-COMMAND> <FLAG>

Available sub-commands

Sub-commandSub-command flagsDescription
create <DATABASE_NAME>--region <REGION_NAME>, --plan <PLAN>, --cluster_size <CLUSTER_SIZE>Create a database with the specified name
delete <DATABASE_NAME>--forceDelete the specified database
dump <DATABASE_NAME> <BRANCH_NAME>--local-addr <ADDRESS>, --output <DIRECTORY_NAME>, --tables <TABLES_LIST>Backup and dump the specified database
list <DATABASE_NAME>List all databases in the current org
restore-dump <DATABASE_NAME> <BRANCH_NAME>--dir <DIRECTORY_NAME>*, --local-addr <ADDRESS>, --overwrite-tablesRestore the specified database from a local dump directory
show <DATABASE_NAME>--webRetrieve information about a database

* Flag is required

Sub-command flag descriptions

Some of the sub-commands have additional flags unique to the sub-command. This section covers what each of those does. See the above table for which context.

Sub-command flagDescriptionApplicable sub-commands
--regionSpecify the region of the new database. Default is us-east.create
--planSpecify the plan for the databas. Currently, scaler_pro is the only option and the default.create
--cluster_sizeFor Scaler Pro databases, you may specify the cluster size. Default is PS_10create
--forceDelete a database without confirmation.delete
--local-addr <ADDRESS>Local address to bind and listen for connections. By default the proxy binds to 127.0.0.1 with a random port.dump, restore-dump
--output <DIRECTORY_NAME>Output directory of the dump. By default the dump is saved to a folder in the current directory.dump
--tables <TABLES_LIST>Comma separated string of tables to dump. By default, all tables are dumped.dump
--wheres stringComma separated string of WHERE clauses to filter the tables to dump.dump
--replicaDump from a replica (if available; will fail if not).dump
--dir <DIRECTORY_NAME>Directory containing the files to be used for the restore.restore-dump
--overwrite-tablesIf true, will attempt to DROP TABLE before restoring.restore-dump
--webPerform the action in your web browsershow

Available flags

FlagDescription
-h, --helpGet help with the database command
--org <ORGANIZATION_NAME>Specify the organization for the database you're acting upon

Global flags

CommandDescription
--api-token <TOKEN>The API token to use for authenticating against the PlanetScale API.
--api-url <URL>The base URL for the PlanetScale API. Default is https://api.planetscale.com/.
--config <CONFIG_FILE>Config file. Default is $HOME/.config/planetscale/pscale.yml.
--debugEnable debug mode.
-f, --format <FORMAT>Show output in a specific format. Possible values: human (default), json, csv.
--no-colorDisable color output.
--service-token <TOKEN>The service token for authenticating.
--service-token-id <TOKEN_ID>The service token ID for authenticating.
Note

The --format flag does not apply to the database dump files created by the dump subcommand. All dumps are created in a SQL statement format compatible with mydumper.

Examples

Create a new scaler_pro database

Command:

Terminal
pscale database create new-database --region <REGION_NAME> --plan scaler_pro --cluster_size PS_80

Output:

Database new-database was successfully created.

Create a backup of an existing branch:

Command:

Terminal
pscale database dump <CURRENT_DATABASE_NAME> <BRANCH_NAME> --output="<DIRECTORY_FOR_BACKUP>" --org="<ORIGINAL_ORGANIZATION>"

Output:

A local export of your database will be generated within the current directory by default but since we are providing an --output location above that will be used instead.

Restore a backup to an existing branch:

Command:

Terminal
pscale database restore-dump <DESTINATION_DATABASE_NAME> <BRANCH_NAME> --dir="<DIRECTORY_FOR_BACKUP>" --org="<DESTINATION_ORGANIZATION>"

Output:

You should receive output indicating the restore is progressing until it completes successfully.

The command above will allow you to restore an existing backup to another branch located either within the same organization/database as the original, or within a completely different organization/database.

If you opt to import into a database with a different name you will have to make sure you rename the files from your backup beforehand.

For example, the files will be named something like this:

Terminal
<CURRENT_DATABASE_NAME>.<TABLE_NAME>-schema.sql

And you will want to rename all of the files in the dump folder to have the new database name if it is not the same as the existing one:

Terminal
<DESTINATION_DATABASE_NAME>.<TABLE_NAME>-schema.sql

If importing into a branch that already contains table definitions that you want to overwrite, you may also be required to pass in the optional --overwrite-tables flag.

Need help?

Get help from the PlanetScale support team, or join our GitHub discussion board to see how others are using PlanetScale.

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