View Source Changelog

All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.

The format is based on Keep a Changelog, and this project adheres to Semantic Versioning.

[0.2.0] - 2025-01-06

Added

  • Phoenix context support with --context and --context-tables CLI options
    • Generate schemas organized into Phoenix contexts
    • Generates a context module file with CRUD functions (e.g., lib/my_app/accounts.ex)
    • Specify which tables belong to each context
    • Schemas are automatically placed in context subdirectories
    • When --context-tables is specified, only those tables will be generated
    • Views and materialized views only generate read operations (list and get)
    • Example: --context Accounts --context-tables users,profiles
  • Custom path support with --path CLI option
    • Organize schemas in custom directory structures
    • Supports multiple path segments (e.g., --path admin/reports)
    • Works with contexts for flexible organization
    • Path segments are reflected in module names (e.g., --path queries → MyApp.Queries.ModuleName)
    • Example: --path queries --context Accounts

Changed

  • JSON/JSONB fields now generate as commented code with manual type instructions
    • Prevents runtime errors from incorrect type assumptions
    • Users must manually specify the correct type based on their data structure
    • Supports common patterns: objects, string arrays, integer arrays, etc.
    • Added comprehensive documentation and examples in generated code

Fixed

  • JSON/JSONB field handling to avoid runtime errors
  • Improved type safety for complex PostgreSQL types
  • Context modules now only generate read operations for views and materialized views
  • Fixed duplicate alias compilation errors by using grouped alias syntax for multiple schemas
  • Fixed duplicate function definitions in context modules when tables have the same singular form (e.g., user_account and user_accounts)
  • Removed invalid @schema_source_type attribute for views/materialized views - added comment instead
  • Added comprehensive documentation to all public functions
  • Fixed unused alias warnings in context modules by only aliasing schemas that are actually used in generated functions
  • Simplified association module references - now uses just the schema name instead of relative module paths
  • Fixed association module references to use full module paths when generating schemas within contexts
  • Fixed mixed foreign key type handling - automatically adds type: :id to belongs_to associations when foreign key is integer but schema uses binary_id

[0.1.0] - 2025-01-05

Initial Release

Introspex is a new Elixir library for generating Ecto schemas from existing PostgreSQL databases. While inspired by the original ecto_generator, Introspex is a complete rewrite with a focus on modern PostgreSQL and Ecto practices.

Features

  • Generate Ecto schemas from PostgreSQL tables, views, and materialized views
  • Automatic association detection based on foreign keys
  • Intelligent changeset generation with validations
  • Comprehensive PostgreSQL type support including:
    • UUID primary keys with auto-detection
    • Arrays (both [] and _ notation)
    • JSON/JSONB fields
    • Enums
    • PostGIS geometry types
    • Network types (inet, cidr, macaddr)
    • All standard SQL types
  • Smart handling of database defaults - lets PostgreSQL manage them
  • Proper timestamp detection - only uses timestamps() for Ecto-compatible columns
  • Support for composite primary keys
  • Dry-run mode for previewing generated schemas

Fixed Issues (from initial development)

  • Repo startup error handling for umbrella applications
  • String interpolation in schema generation
  • Proper UUID primary key detection and configuration
  • PostgreSQL array type handling with underscore prefix
  • Foreign key field deduplication with belongs_to associations
  • Timestamp field detection for non-standard column names
  • Database default value handling to prevent Ecto conflicts

Requirements

  • Elixir 1.14+
  • Ecto 3.10+
  • PostgreSQL 12+

Acknowledgments

Inspired by ecto_generator by Alexandru Bogdan Bâgu.