Dolt Database Version Control

Dolt Database Version Control

Use this skill to decide how, when, why, and where to use Dolt, and to produce safe adoption plans for Dolt-backed systems.

When to use

Use this skill when the user asks about any of the following:

• Dolt, DoltHub, Hosted Dolt, DoltLab, DoltgreSQL/Doltgres, or "Git for data".
• Version-controlling relational data with branches, commits, diffs, merges, remotes, or pull-request-like workflows.
• Adding audit history, rollback, review-before-publish, or branch-per-user changes to an application database.
• Creating a versioned MySQL or MariaDB replica for queryable history, disaster recovery, debugging, or change-data-capture-like workflows.
• Comparing Dolt against Git+CSV, temporal tables, soft deletes, slowly changing dimensions, CDC pipelines, event sourcing, plain MySQL, or Postgres.
• Designing commands, SQL procedures, or rollout checks for a Dolt proof of concept.

Do not use this skill for generic Git, generic SQL, or generic MySQL/Postgres administration unless Dolt or database version control is materially involved.

Inputs and assumptions

Before recommending Dolt, identify:

• The current database engine, SQL dialect, schema size, write/read throughput, data sensitivity, and deployment topology.
• Whether the goal is application-primary storage, collaborative dataset management, audit/disaster recovery, local agent memory, or a versioned replica beside an existing database.
• Whether MySQL-compatible clients are acceptable. If Postgres compatibility is mandatory, treat Doltgres/DoltgreSQL as a separate maturity decision and verify current status from official sources.
• Whether immutable history conflicts with retention, privacy, right-to-erasure, or secret-handling requirements.
• Whether users need branch/merge conflict resolution and who will review or resolve conflicts.

Use references/dolt-guide.md as the packaged baseline. For current versions, installation commands, hosted offerings, maturity labels, or production claims, verify against official Dolt docs or the DoltHub GitHub repositories before finalizing.

Portable workflow

1. Classify the Dolt job

   • primary-app-db: Dolt is the serving SQL database and the app uses branches, diffs, logs, rollback, or review workflows.
   • collaborative-data-repo: Dolt is used from the CLI for CSV/table data collaboration, remotes, pull/push, and reproducible datasets.
   • versioned-replica: Dolt follows an existing MySQL/MariaDB primary to provide an immutable, queryable audit log and recovery aid.
   • evaluation-only: the user needs a recommendation, comparison, architecture review, or proof-of-concept plan.

2. State why Dolt is or is not a fit

   • Strong fit: relational data needs Git-like branch/merge/diff/log/rollback semantics; application users need review-before-publish; teams need local clones/remotes for data; auditors need row/cell history; operators want a versioned replica of MySQL.
   • Weak fit: the system only needs ordinary backups, simple CRUD, or append-only analytics; the team cannot tolerate MySQL-compatibility gaps; write throughput requires multi-primary horizontal scaling; conflict resolution has no clear owner; immutable history is a liability.

3. Choose where Dolt belongs

   • In the serving path as a MySQL-compatible database server when app features require branchable versioned data.
   • Next to an existing MySQL/MariaDB primary as a read-only/versioned replica when migration risk is high but audit/history is valuable.
   • On developer machines or CI for import/diff/merge validation of tabular datasets.
   • In DoltHub/Hosted Dolt/DoltLab workflows when the team needs hosted collaboration, cloud operation, or self-hosted sharing.

4. Plan how to use it

   • Start with a throwaway repository or isolated server; never begin on production data.
   • Configure commit identity with dolt config --global --add user.name ... and dolt config --global --add user.email ....
   • For CLI workflows, use Git-like commands: dolt init, dolt table import, dolt status, dolt add, dolt commit, dolt diff, dolt branch, dolt checkout, dolt merge, dolt log, dolt push, and dolt pull.
   • For SQL workflows, use a MySQL-compatible client with dolt sql-server; read version-control state through system tables/table functions such as dolt_log, dolt_status, dolt_diff(...), and dolt_history_<table>; write version-control state through procedures such as DOLT_ADD, DOLT_COMMIT, DOLT_CHECKOUT, and DOLT_MERGE.
   • Prefer primary keys for tables so diffs and merges are meaningful.
   • For versioned replicas, validate row-based binlog replication, GTID auto-positioning, unique server_id, replica warming, and restart/filter behavior before relying on it.

5. Produce an adoption recommendation

   • Include: recommended Dolt role, fit rationale, commands or SQL sketch, migration/rollback path, operational risks, validation checklist, and a confidence level.
   • Separate verified facts from assumptions and explicitly name anything that still needs benchmark, compatibility, or production testing.

Decision checklist

Answer these before saying "use Dolt":

• What exact version-control feature is needed: branch, merge, diff, log, blame/history, rollback, remote sync, or pull-request-style review?
• Is MySQL compatibility acceptable for the application and tooling?
• Can the workload fit a single primary write bottleneck with read replicas, or is a different database architecture required?
• How will branch conflicts be detected, reviewed, and resolved?
• Which data may not be stored in immutable history?
• What proof will show Dolt works here: client compatibility tests, SQL syntax coverage, import size, write throughput, merge behavior, replication drift checks, backup/restore, or disaster-recovery drill?

Safety and side effects

• Ask for confirmation before commands that mutate, delete, rewrite, publish, or connect production systems: dolt reset --hard, dolt clean, dolt gc, dolt filter-branch, destructive SQL, replication reconfiguration, remote push, or production imports.
• Do not run install commands requiring root/admin privileges unless the user explicitly approves.
• Do not claim Dolt is a drop-in replacement for a specific MySQL workload until the user's schema, queries, migrations, clients, and operational requirements have been tested.
• Treat Dolt history as durable. Do not import secrets, regulated data, or personal data without an explicit retention/privacy plan.
• For replication, do not change binlog/GTID settings on a production primary without a reviewed database operations plan.
• Prefer read-only diagnostics and disposable proof-of-concept repositories before touching live databases.

Scripts, references, and dependencies

• Reference guide: references/dolt-guide.md.
• Contract tests: tests/test_contract.py.
• No runtime dependencies are bundled.
• Optional external tools, depending on the user's task: dolt, a MySQL-compatible client, Docker, or access to official Dolt documentation.

Verification

For skill/package maintenance, from the package root run:

npm test
npm pack --dry-run

For a Dolt recommendation or proof of concept, verify with the smallest relevant checks:

dolt version
dolt status
dolt log
dolt diff

SQL server checks, when applicable:

SELECT active_branch();
SELECT * FROM dolt_log LIMIT 5;
SELECT * FROM dolt_status;
CALL DOLT_COMMIT('-am', 'test commit');

Application checks should include client/ORM connection, migration replay, representative queries, branch/merge scenarios, backup/restore, and workload benchmarks before production use.

Pi adapter

• In Pi, use web/documentation search for current Dolt facts before making version-specific, release-specific, or hosted-service claims.
• For unfamiliar repositories, inspect the project structure before recommending Dolt integration points.
• If the user wants this skill enabled after installation, ask before changing Pi settings or symlinks.