update-sql

The update-sql command is a helper command that allows you to inspect the SQL Liquibase will run while using the update command.

Uses

The update-sql command is used when you want to inspect the raw SQL before running the update command, so you can correct any issues that may arise before running the command. Liquibase uses the raw SQL to apply database changes you have added to the changelog file.

Syntax

To run the update-sql command, specify the driver, classpath, and URL in the Liquibase properties file. For more information, see Create and Configure a liquibase.properties File. You can also specify properties from the command line.

Run the update-sql command:

liquibase update-sql --changelog-file=example-changelog.xml

Global arguments

Tip: For best results, specify all commands and parameters in the --kebab-case format in the CLI. If your preference is camelCase, it also works in the CLI.

Attribute Definition Requirement
--output-file

File path to where the command output will be written. If not specified, output goes to STDOUT. See --output-file.

Optional

Command arguments

Attribute Definition Requirement
--changelog-file *

The root changelog

Required
--url

The JDBC database connection URL. See Using JDBC URL in Liquibase.

Required
--change-exec-listener-class

Fully-qualified class which specifies a ChangeExecListener. For more information, see Implementing a Custom ChangeExecListener Class with Liquibase and ChangeExecListenerCommandStep.

Optional
--change-exec-listener-properties-file

Path to a properties file for the ChangeExecListener class. For more information, see Implementing a Custom ChangeExecListener Class with Liquibase and ChangeExecListenerCommandStep.

Optional
--context-filter

Specifies the changeset contexts to match. Contexts are tags you can add to changesets to control which changesets are executed in any particular migration run.

Note: If you use Liquibase 4.23.0 or earlier, use the syntax --contexts instead of --context-filter.

Optional
--defaut-catalog-name

Name of the default catalog to use for the database connection

Optional
--default-schema-name

Name of the default schema to use for the database connection. If defaultSchemaName is set, then objects do not have to be fully qualified. This means you can refer to just mytable instead of myschema.mytable.

Tip: In Liquibase v4.23.0+, camelCase for defaultSchemaName works successfully. If you are on an earlier version, camelCase may not work as expected.

Note: The syntax liquibase.command.defaultSchemaName is valid for v4.19.0+. For prior versions, use defaultSchemaName.

Optional
--driver

The JDBC driver class

Optional
--driver-properties-file

The JDBC driver properties file

Optional
--labels

Specifies the changeset labels to match. Labels are tags you can add to changesets to control which changesets will be executed in any migration run.

Optional
--output-default-catalog

Control whether names of objects in the default catalog are fully qualified or not. If true, they are. If false, only objects outside the default catalog are fully qualified Default: true.

Optional
--output-default-schema

Control whether names of objects in the default schema are fully qualified or not. If true, they are. If false, only objects outside the default schema are fully qualified Default: true.

Optional
--password

Password to connect to the target database.

Tip: It is a best practice to store sensitive data in a Secrets Management tool with Liquibase Pro.

Optional
--username

Username to connect to the target database.

Tip: It is a best practice to store sensitive data in a Secrets Management tool with Liquibase Pro.

Optional

* Liquibase checks the changelog and any nested changelogs for the definitions of the changesets to update.

Note: The username and password attributes are not required for connections and systems which use alternate means of authentication. Also, you can specify database credentials as part of the url attribute.

Precondition behavior

Preconditions are tags you add to your changelog or individual changesets to control the execution of an update based on the state of the database. You can specify the following attributes to control whether the update-sql command runs preconditions:

  • onSqlOutput: controls how preconditions are evaluated with the update-sql command for XML, YAML, and JSON changelogs.
  • onUpdateSql: controls how preconditions are evaluated with the update-sql command for formatted SQL changelogs.

You can specify the following values for onSqlOutput and onUpdateSql:

Value Description
FAIL When you run the update-sql command, Liquibase fails any preconditions.
IGNORE When you run the update-sql command, Liquibase ignores any preconditions.
TEST When you run the update-sql command, Liquibase evaluates preconditions normally.

Learn more about preconditions here: Preconditions

Related links