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NFJS2025

Tool support for Agile Databases: Introducing Liquibase

This presentation introduces and demonstrates Liquibase: a new Java tool to support automating database refactoring and deployment.

Agile Database tools and techniques have been evolving to catch up with the existing support for source code. Many projects struggle to keep external databases (and DBAs) in sync with rapidly changing and tested source development.

Support for Agile Database development needs to include tools support for the following areas:

  • Database Refactorings
  • Schema Version Control
  • IDE Support
  • Scripted tools (Ant, Maven, command line)

Liquibase is an LGPL-licensed Java tool for tracking, managing, and applying database changes. Liquibase enables the database schema, reference data, and data change scripts to be managed as effectively as source code on Agile projects:

  • the CI build doesn't break from forgotten SQL script runs
  • developers don't have to coordinate check-ins/outs with each other
  • embedded or external databases can be managed with the same scripts
  • databases can be automatically upgrades, or SQL generated for review

This presentation introduces these topics and demonstrates Liquibase with an example application showing Spring Framework, Ant, and continuous build integrations.


John Heintz

About John Heintz

Agile/Kanban coach, REST architect, software craftsman

John D. Heintz is a husband, father, developer, Agilist, entrepreneur. After studying electrons in college, John's intuition led him to pursue software, and he's been a digital craftsmen since. Always seeking solutions with higher leverage and deeper simplicity has led John to important methods and tools. John's approach to building systems and teams started with leading his first Scrum team in 1999, included XP and TDD, and now Agile and Lean methods are part of his daily work and consulting. John has built single-source hyperdocument SGML publishing systems, a version control CORBA/Python CMS, an AspectJ dependency acquisition framework, added test automation to many Java and .NET systems, coached a 100-person Agile/Lean game studio, and built RESTful Web integration systems. John has launched his own company, Gist Labs, to further his focus on essential innovation.

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