Zero-Friction Branching

Nanokit simplifies database management by introducing Zero-Friction Branching. This feature ensures that your data layer always follows your application’s state, specifically your Git branches.

How it Works

When you create a new feature branch in your repository, Nanokit’s Data Layer detects the change and can automatically provision an isolated database fork for that branch.

Key Benefits

• Isolation: Work on experimental features without risking production data.
• Speed: Instantly create fresh environments with pre-populated data.
• Consistency: Ensure all team members work with the same data schema.

Configuration

To enable branching for a database, add the branching property in your nanokit.yml:

databases:
  main-db:
    engine: postgres
    branching:
      enabled: true
      strategy: snapshot # or 'empty'

Strategies

• snapshot: Nanokit takes a snapshot of the base branch database and creates a fork.
• empty: Nanokit creates a fresh, empty database schema.

Data Layer Integration

The Data Layer automatically injects the correct DATABASE_URL into your service’s environment variables based on the active branch. You don’t need to manually update connection strings.