Introduction to Dolt: Git for Data
Dolt is a unique and innovative SQL database that integrates the powerful version control features of Git with the easy-to-use querying capabilities of SQL. If you are familiar with Git, you know it as a tool that versions files. Dolt takes this concept further by versioning tables, essentially merging the worlds of Git and MySQL into one.
Key Features of Dolt
Dolt allows users to fork, clone, branch, merge, push, and pull datasets just like they would with a Git repository. This provides a seamless version control experience for data, enabling users to manage changes, collaborate with others, and maintain a robust history of database modifications.
You can interact with Dolt in two main ways:
- SQL and System Tables: Connect with Dolt as you would with any MySQL database, allowing you to read or modify schema and data. The version control functionalities are accessible via SQL commands, system tables, functions, and procedures.
- Command Line Interface (CLI): Use Git-like commands to import CSV files, commit changes, and more. All the commands you are familiar with in Git can be used similarly in Dolt, making it extremely user-friendly for those who already use Git.
Sharing and Hosting with Dolt
For sharing databases, Dolt comes with DoltHub, a platform for sharing Dolt databases, offering free hosting for public data. If you prefer hosting your version of DoltHub, Dolt also provides DoltLab. For managed hosting solutions, Hosted Dolt is available, where Dolt manages servers on behalf of users. Additionally, for those interested in a PostgreSQL version of Dolt, there exists the experimental DoltgreSQL.
Dolt CLI: Harnessing the Power of Git-like Commands in SQL
The Dolt CLI reflects many Git commands but adapts them for table management and SQL functionality. Below is a brief look at some core commands:
- init: Start a new Dolt data repository.
- add, commit, merge: Track and merge changes in tables.
- sql: Execute SQL queries on your tables.
- branch, checkout: Manage different versions of your database schema.
- pull, push: Synchronize your databases with a remote repository.
Installation and Platform Support
Dolt is easy to install and functions as a standalone program of about 103 megabytes. It supports installation across multiple platforms with detailed instructions for Linux, Mac, and Windows operating systems. Users can also deploy Dolt using Docker for containerized environments or build from source using Go, the language Dolt is written in.
Getting Started
To start using Dolt, you should first set up your environment to store your databases and then run Dolt’s MySQL-compatible server using simple commands. You can connect using any MySQL client and start creating your databases and tables. Dolt excels at allowing users to manage data the way they manage code with Git, supporting operations like dolt_add, dolt_commit, and dolt_diff.
Conclusion
Whether you need a simple Git-like control for your data, or you are managing a collaborative data project, Dolt provides an innovative solution that bridges the gap between flat file versioning and relational databases. It offers rich functionality to manage and track changes, ensuring data integrity and enhancing ease of collaboration through familiar workflows and commands.
For more information, users can engage with the community or dive into Dolt's roadmap to explore future enhancements and applications. Whether you're an individual user or a team, Dolt opens up new possibilities for data management and collaboration.