PostgreSQL

The starter kit uses PostgreSQL as the database, managed through Drizzle ORM for excellent developer experience and type safety.

Database Provider

You can use PostgreSQL from various providers:

• Neon - Serverless PostgreSQL with generous free tier
• Supabase - Open source Firebase alternative with PostgreSQL
• Railway - Simple PostgreSQL hosting
• Render - Managed PostgreSQL databases
• Local PostgreSQL - For development

Drizzle ORM

The starter kit uses Drizzle ORM instead of raw SQL for several benefits:

• Type safety - Full TypeScript support with auto-completion
• Migrations - Automated schema migrations
• Relations - Easy relationship management
• Developer experience - Intuitive query builder

Database Schema

All database schemas are located in packages/layer-auth/server/db/schema/:

• auth.ts - User, session, account tables (better-auth)
• testimonial.ts - Testimonials feature
• waitlist.ts - Waitlist management
• file.ts - File storage metadata
• banner.ts - App banner configuration

Database Utilities

Import from layer-auth server utils:

import { and, desc, eq, useDb } from 'layer-auth/server/utils/db'

const db = useDb()
const users = await db.select()
  .from(schema.user)
  .where(eq(schema.user.email, email))

Commands

Run these commands from the monorepo root:

# Generate migrations from schema changes
pnpm db:generate

# Apply migrations to database
pnpm db:migrate

# Open Drizzle Studio (database GUI)
pnpm db:studio

Environment Variables

Set your PostgreSQL connection string in .env:

NUXT_PRIVATE_DATABASE_URL="postgresql://user:password@host:5432/dbname"

For local development, you might use:

NUXT_PRIVATE_DATABASE_URL="postgresql://postgres:postgres@localhost:5432/nuxtstarterkit"

Migration Workflow

1. Make changes to schema files in packages/layer-auth/server/db/schema/
2. Run pnpm db:generate to create migration files
3. Review generated migrations in packages/layer-auth/server/db/migrations/
4. Run pnpm db:migrate to apply migrations
5. Commit both schema and migration files

Drizzle Studio

Drizzle Studio provides a visual interface to browse and edit your database:

pnpm db:studio

This opens a web interface where you can:

• Browse tables and data
• Run queries
• Edit records
• View relationships

Type Safety

Drizzle generates TypeScript types from your schema. Import and use them:

import { session, user } from 'layer-auth/server/db/schema'
import type { Session, User } from 'layer-auth/shared/types/db'

// Use typed queries
const users: Array<User> = await db.select().from(user)

Best Practices

• Always use migrations - never modify the database schema directly
• Keep schema files organized by feature
• Use meaningful column and table names
• Add indexes for frequently queried columns
• Use transactions for multiple related operations