Interview with beavers: Michael, web developer

Data storage plays a crucial role in web app development, and nowadays, it is impossible to imagine a website without a database behind it.

All modern websites rely on one or more databases for storing articles and other published content, information about the users, contact information, feedback forms, connections to other websites, and so on. And if you have a lot of important data, it is great to have a tool to manage it.

DBeaver provides vast opportunities to work with databases. Our web developer Michael is responsible for maintaining and updating company websites, and he uses DBeaver daily. We asked him to answer several questions about his experience, and we want to share them with you.

How do you use DBeaver?

All pages of our company’s website are stored in a database, and with the help of DBeaver, I have quick access to them. If I need to find something or correct any information, it can be easily done using our app.

I work with several databases, including my locally stored one, where I can freely experiment and try various improvements, some of which end up on the site. When I need to use a production database, I often switch to manual or smart commit mode to avoid accidentally making breaking changes. This is very convenient because DBeaver simply will not allow any changes to be committed without confirmation.

Besides, I use SQL Editor to debug the scripts I write for our website. It’s especially convenient when these scripts are quite complex and include cross-queries on multiple tables, because SQL Editor has keyword highlighting and extensive formatting options.

I don’t like to use the command line, so if I need to add new tables or columns, I prefer to do that with the Data Editor. This tool also comes in handy when new data appears on the site, and I want to check if everything is correct.

From time to time, I use ER Diagrams to check relationships between tables.

Why do you like our app?

The main thing I like about DBeaver is the simplicity of the interface, behind which lies a wide functionality. For example, I need to click just one button to dump a database, and I often use this feature.

I also like the Data Editor. It’s an intuitive tool for working with data without writing bulky queries to the database. I often create keys, filter tables by specific dates, and generate SQL via the context menu.

What do you want to improve in our app?

DBeaver covers all my needs related to working with databases. But it would be great if our development team continues to improve ER Diagrams. For example, I would like relationships to be drawn from a column in one table to a column in another one.

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