Get started with modular databases in minutes. Install prerequisites and deploy your first module.

Quickstart: Getting Up and Running

Set up Node.js, Postgres, and pgpm. Everything you need to get started with modular database development.

Prerequisites

Experience the power of modular databases by installing a pre-built module and deploying it to Postgres—no SQL writing required.

Spinning Up a Modular Database in 2 Minutes

Learn to organize Postgres projects with pgpm workspaces and reusable database modules.

Modular Postgres Development with Database Packages

Understand how pgpm workspaces bring npm-style modularity to Postgres development.

pgpm Workspaces: A New Way to Organize Postgres Projects

Set up your first pgpm workspace with proper configuration and structure.

Initializing a Workspace for Modular Postgres Development

Build your first database module with deploy, revert, and verify scripts.

Creating Your First Postgres Database Module

Write and run tests for your database module with watch mode for rapid feedback.

Testing Your Database Module

Master module dependencies, cross-module references, and automatic dependency resolution.

Managing Database Package Dependencies in a Workspace

Master the workflow for adding, organizing, and managing database changes with pgpm.

Authoring Database Changes

Learn the fundamental workflow for adding database changes using the pgpm add command and the three-file pattern for safe, reversible migrations.

Adding Your First Database Change

Structure migrations using nested paths for maintainable schemas.

Change Naming Conventions

Understand the plan file format and how pgpm generates deployment plans from SQL dependencies.

Plan Files and Deployment Plans

Master end-to-end Postgres testing with ephemeral databases, RLS testing, and CI/CD automation.

End-to-End Postgres Testing with TypeScript

Create ephemeral Postgres databases for testing with pgsql-test. Fast, isolated, and automatically cleaned up.

Spinning Up Temporary Testing Databases for Postgres

Test RLS policies by simulating different users and roles. Verify that your security policies actually work as intended.

How to Test Row-Level Security (RLS) in Postgres

Test complex multi-user scenarios by switching between users within tests. Master the savepoint pattern to handle exceptions and aborted transactions when testing operations that should fail.

Advanced RLS Testing Scenarios - Simulating Many Users and Roles

Learn how to seed test databases with realistic data using loadJson, loadSql, and loadCsv methods for comprehensive testing scenarios.

Seeding Postgres Test Databases

TypeScript-native testing for Supabase with modern workflows.

End-to-End Postgres Testing with Supabase

Introducing Supabase Test Suite: TypeScript-native testing for Supabase with isolated databases, RLS testing, and instant feedback loops.

Supabase Testing for the Modern Developer

Get started with supabase-test: install dependencies, configure local Supabase, and write your first isolated database test with automatic rollbacks.

Setting Up Local Supabase Database Testing

Create your first Supabase test with supabase-test's getConnections(), understand test isolation, and verify your setup with simple database queries.

Writing Your First Supabase Test in TypeScript

Test Supabase RLS policies by simulating authenticated users and anonymous access. Verify your security policies work as intended with supabase-test.

Testing Row-Level Security Policies in Supabase

Learn how to seed Supabase test databases with auth.users, realistic data using loadJson, loadSql, and loadCsv methods for comprehensive testing.

Seeding Supabase Test Databases

Set up GitHub Actions CI/CD pipeline to automatically test your Supabase database with every commit. Learn how to configure workflows, start Supabase, and run tests.

Running Supabase Tests in GitHub Actions

Automate Supabase testing in GitHub Actions: provision local Supabase stack, run tests in CI, and optimize for fast feedback loops.

Troubleshooting Supabase Test

Learn to test Postgres databases with Drizzle ORM, including RLS policies and context management.

End-to-End Postgres Testing with Drizzle ORM

Set up Drizzle ORM with drizzle-orm-test for Postgres testing. Create type-safe database queries with automatic test isolation.

How to Setup Drizzle ORM for End-to-End Testing

Test RLS policies with Drizzle ORM using automatic context management. Verify security policies with type-safe queries.

Testing Row-Level Security with Drizzle ORM

Common issues and solutions for pgpm, Postgres, and testing.

Troubleshooting

Quick fixes for common pgpm, Postgres, and testing issues.

Common Issues and Solutions


> **Previously:** In [Creating Your First Postgres Database Module](./creating-first-module), you created and deployed the pets module. Now let's add tests.

Testing database logic requires real Postgres—not mocks. Your pgpm workspace comes with testing configured, so you can start writing tests immediately.

## Prerequisites

Requires: Complete [Creating Your First Postgres Database Module](./creating-first-module).

## Step 1: Install Dependencies

Navigate to your workspace root and install dependencies:

```bash
cd my-database-project
pnpm install
```

This installs the testing dependencies configured by `pgpm init workspace`.

> **Note:** If you haven't already, make sure to bootstrap database users (covered in [Prerequisites](/learn/quickstart/prerequisites)). This creates `anonymous`, `authenticated`, and `administrator` roles for realistic testing scenarios. Run this once:
> ```bash
> pgpm admin-users bootstrap --yes
> ```

## Step 2: Write Your First Test

Navigate to your pets module and create/update `__tests__/basic.test.ts`:

```ts
import { getConnections, PgTestClient } from 'pgsql-test';

let pg: PgTestClient;
let teardown: () => Promise<void>;

beforeAll(async () => {
  // Automatically discovers and deploys your module
  ({ pg, teardown } = await getConnections());
});

afterAll(() => teardown());
beforeEach(() => pg.beforeEach());
afterEach(() => pg.afterEach());

it('can insert and query pets', async () => {
  await pg.query(`
    INSERT INTO pets.pets (name, species, age)
    VALUES ('Buddy', 'dog', 3)
  `);

  const result = await pg.query(
    'SELECT * FROM pets.pets WHERE name = $1',
    ['Buddy']
  );

  console.log('Query result:', result.rows[0]);

  expect(result.rows[0].species).toBe('dog');
  expect(result.rows[0].age).toBe(3);
  expect(result.rows[0].adopted).toBe(false);
});
```

## Step 3: Run Tests

Start Jest:

```bash
pnpm test
```

You'll see:

```bash
Query result: {
  id: '8eb947ad-0e73-4cd4-8720-11ce3c7a83ba',
  name: 'Buddy',
  species: 'dog',
  age: 3,
  adopted: false,
  created_at: 2025-11-18T03:54:44.289Z
}


 PASS  __tests__/pets.test.js
  ✓ can insert and query pets (8ms)

Test Suites: 1 passed, 1 total
Tests:       1 passed, 1 total
```

## What's Next

You've added tests to your module. In the next lesson, we'll explore module dependencies—creating modules that depend on other modules and using cross-module references.

## Key Takeaways

- pgpm workspaces come with testing configured out of the box
- Run `pnpm test` to verify your database module
- Tests automatically deploy your module with zero configuration
- Each test starts with a clean state—no manual cleanup needed
