How to Version Control SQLServer Queries in PostgreSQL

How do I version control SQL Server queries safely?

Version-controlling SQL Server queries means storing every change to your scripts in a VCS (Git) and deploying them with repeatable migration files.

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Description

What is SQL query version control?

Storing each SQL script in Git lets teams track history, review changes, and roll back safely. Pair scripts with numbered migration files so every environment stays in sync.

How do I structure migration files?

Create one file per change using the pattern YYYYMMDDHHMM_description.sql. Prefix with an incremental timestamp; add a brief, kebab-cased description.Commit each file immediately after it is tested.

Which tools can run SQL Server migrations?

Popular options include Flyway, Liquibase, dbt, and simple in-house runners that execute files in timestamp order. All tools expect an internal table (e.g., __schema_migrations) to record applied versions.

How do I write idempotent scripts?

Guard every DDL change with IF NOT EXISTS/IF EXISTS checks. This prevents errors if the script accidentally runs twice and keeps CI pipelines green.

Can I version control read-only queries?

Yes.Store SELECT statements in the same repo—inside a /queries folder. Galaxy Collections make sharing endorsed, read-only analytics queries trivial.

Best practice: one change per file

Combine only tightly-related DDL in a single migration. Small, atomic files simplify code review and allow partial rollbacks.

Best practice: always wrap DDL in transactions

Use BEGIN TRY / CATCH blocks so failures automatically trigger ROLLBACK, leaving the database consistent.

Why How to Version Control SQLServer Queries in PostgreSQL is important

How to Version Control SQLServer Queries in PostgreSQL Example Usage


-- Example: add an index to speed up product lookups by name
-- 202406051335_add-index-products-name.sql
BEGIN TRY
    BEGIN TRANSACTION;

    IF NOT EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM sys.indexes WHERE name = 'idx_products_name')
    BEGIN
        CREATE INDEX idx_products_name ON Products(name);
    END;

    INSERT INTO __schema_migrations (version, description, applied_at)
    VALUES ('202406051335', 'add-index-products-name', GETDATE());

    COMMIT TRANSACTION;
END TRY
BEGIN CATCH
    ROLLBACK TRANSACTION;
    THROW;
END CATCH;
GO

How to Version Control SQLServer Queries in PostgreSQL Syntax


-- Generic migration file template
-- 202406051230_add-products-stock-column.sql

BEGIN TRY
    BEGIN TRANSACTION;

    /* DDL change */
    ALTER TABLE Products
    ADD stock INT NOT NULL DEFAULT 0;

    /* Track applied version */
    INSERT INTO __schema_migrations (version, description, applied_at)
    VALUES ('202406051230', 'add-products-stock-column', GETDATE());

    COMMIT TRANSACTION;
END TRY
BEGIN CATCH
    ROLLBACK TRANSACTION;
    THROW;
END CATCH;
GO

Common Mistakes

Storing a single evolving "schema.sql" file. This hides history and breaks incremental deployment. Fix by using timestamped migration files—one change per file.
Running DDL outside a transaction. A failed ALTER leaves the database in a half-applied state. Always wrap migrations in BEGIN TRY/COMMIT with ROLLBACK on error.