[Rails] a remote database issue

[Dick Davies]

* Kim <kim at tinker.com> [0312 16:12]:
> 
> On Mar 1, 2005, at 4:22 AM, Dick Davies wrote:
> 
> >* Robby Russell <robby at planetargon.com> [0211 22:11]:

> >> rake outputs:
> >>
> >>>pg_dump: [archiver (db)] connection to database "dbname" failed: 

> >The :clone_structure_to_test can't work remotely
 
> I also have a problem with this and I am looking into changing the way 
> the test database is cloned so that it doesn't use dropdb and createdb.  

In essence a drop/createdb is not much different to deleting all tables/
indexes/sequences and rebuilding them, and we are only talking about the
test db in any case. The only benefit is a warm fuzzy feeling, and I'm not 
sure if the extra complexity (in the Rakefile or the adapter) is worth it.

> I am also looking into adding the
> capability of having the test setup do its cloning as a database user 
> that owns the
> database and has full rights to it and then logging off before running 
> the tests as
> the user I have the web site log in as which has much fewer permissions.

Again it would be nice, but it does seem to increase the effort in getting a
test environment up and running.

> >a) secure the db properly
> >b) run the tests against a remote db

> There is an undocumented environment variable you can set.  If you set 
> PQpass to your password, it will not prompt for one.

Nice, thanks. Actually it seems PGPASSWORD is what you're describing,
but setting that up before system('pg_dump ...') should DTRT.

I'll have a go tweaking the Rakefile.
 
> >Personally I'd like to see us get away from pg_dump and find another 
> >way to
> >pull the schema from development and drop everything from the test db
> >(rather than dropdb/createdb).
> >I'm beginning to think this should be done in the adapter..

> I am looking into this sort of thing.  However, due to my other 
> projects, it may
> be a while before I get something that works.  Do you know if anyone 
> else is working on this so I don't duplicate someone else's effort?

Not that I know of. I notice the mysql adapter can do this, but from a quick
glance at the code its using 'SHOW xxx' type commands. psql supports
the same features with its '\' commands, but if you've ever run 'psql -E' you'll
know what sort of nosebleed code that generates...

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