SchemaCrawler is a free, open-source tool for database schema discovery and comprehension, targeting data governance professionals and developers. It aids in understanding database structures, generating documentation, and identifying potential design issues through schema analysis and diffing capabilities.

How It Works

SchemaCrawler leverages JDBC drivers to connect to virtually any database, processing metadata to provide schema exploration and analysis. It supports schema diffing for documentation and compliance, schema diagram generation, and linting for identifying design flaws. Its Java API allows programmatic interaction with database metadata.

Quick Start & Requirements

• Install: Download distributions (JARs, installers, Docker) from downloads and distributions.
• Prerequisites: Java SE 8 or better. JDBC drivers for specific databases (some bundled).
• Demo: Live online tutorial available.

Highlighted Details

• Supports schema diffing for documentation and change tracking.
• Includes linting rules to identify potential schema design issues.
• Generates schema diagrams.
• Offers a Java API for programmatic metadata access.

Maintenance & Community

Support is primarily via Stack Overflow. The project website (schemacrawler.net) provides further details and resources.

Licensing & Compatibility

SchemaCrawler is available under multiple licenses. Compatibility for commercial use or closed-source linking depends on the specific license chosen for the distribution used.

Limitations & Caveats

The README does not specify which licenses are available for different distributions, requiring users to verify compatibility for their intended use case.