DimonSmart.DbSketch 0.1.7

DbSketch

DbSketch turns a live database into a version-controlled schema diagram.

It reads tables, columns, primary keys, foreign keys, and comments directly from SQL Server, PostgreSQL, or MySQL, then writes documentation you can commit, review, and refresh from CI.

Compact layout, using tableHeaderLayout: "{fullName}" and columnLayout: "{name}":

Full layout, using tableHeaderLayout: "{fullName} | {comment}" and columnLayout: "{name} | {type} | {comment} | {keys}":

Why DbSketch?

• Reads live SQL Server, PostgreSQL, and MySQL schemas
• Generates Graphviz DOT, Mermaid ER, or Markdown-wrapped output
• Supports multiple focused diagrams from one config
• Preserves precise column-to-column foreign key edges in DOT
• Can include database-native table and column comments
• Works locally, in CI, or as a repository documentation step

Quick start

dotnet tool install --global DimonSmart.DbSketch
dbsketch generate --config dbsketch.yml

DbSketch also works as a local repository tool. See Getting started for local tool, one-shot, dnx, and CI examples.

Minimal config

provider: postgres
connectionString: "${DB_CONNECTION}"

defaults:
  output:
    format: markdown
    markdown:
      fenceLanguage: dot
  diagram:
    renderer: dot
    direction: LR
    compact: true
    show:
      schemaName: true
      columnTypes: false
      nullability: false
      primaryKeys: true
      foreignKeys: true
      foreignKeyLabels: false

diagrams:
  - name: full
    title: Database schema
    include:
      tables:
        - "public.*"
    exclude:
      tables:
        - "public.__EFMigrationsHistory"
    output:
      path: docs/db/schema.md

Output formats

• DOT: best for precise technical diagrams and column-to-column relationships.
• Mermaid: convenient for GitHub Markdown, with entity-level relationships.
• Markdown: useful for generated docs because it wraps DOT or Mermaid in a fenced block.

Documentation

• Getting started
• Configuration
• Renderers
• Database comments
• Northwind example
• Development

Use with AI assistants

Want to add DbSketch to an existing repository? Paste this into ChatGPT, Claude, or Codex:

Add DbSketch database diagram generation to this repository. Create a dbsketch.yml that reads DB_CONNECTION, generates focused database diagrams under docs/db, and adds a CI step to refresh them.

Contributing

Issues and pull requests are welcome, especially focused fixes, provider improvements, renderer improvements, and documentation updates.