5.5 Step 3: Review a Change

Say a branch adds a payments mart and a loyalty_tier column to customers. After re-running qdbd import dbt target/ -o erd/ on the branch:

What changed?

qdbd diff --base origin/main erd/

Schema changes origin/main -> working tree:
  + table payments
  ~ table customers
      + loyalty_tier
  + relationship payments.order_id -> orders.order_id (N:1)
1 table(s) added, 0 removed, 1 changed; 1 relationship(s) added, 0 removed

--format markdown gives the same thing as a PR-ready comment, and --format json gives it for scripts. --exit-code exits 1 when anything changed.

See it

qdbd build erd/ --diff-base origin/main -o erd.html

New tables are green, changed tables amber, and changed columns get a bar. Show changes in the banner filters to the changes and their neighbours. In a filter, diff:modified works like dbt's state:modified:

qdbd build erd/ --diff-base origin/main -s 'diff:modified+1' -o changes.html

Next: automate in CI :octicons-arrow-right-24: