Using the Schema Diff tool v8

Schema Diff compares schema objects between two database schemas. Use the Tools menu to access Schema Diff.

Schema Diff allows you to:

  • Compare and synchronize the database schemas (from source to target).
  • Visualize the differences between database schemas.
  • List the differences in SQL statement for target schema objects.
  • Generate synchronization scripts.

To open the selection panel, select Tools > Schema Diff. Select the source and target servers, databases, and schemas to compare. After selecting the objects, select Compare.

Note

The source and target databases must use the same major version.

You can open multiple copies of Schema Diff in individual tabs. To specify whether to open Schema Diff in a new browser tab, select the Preferences dialog box. Set Open in new browser tab to true.

The Schema Diff panel is divided into two panels: an Object Comparison panel and a DDL Comparison panel.

Schema Diff Object Comparison panel

In the Object Comparison panel, you can select the source and target servers of the same major version, databases, and schemas to compare. You can select any server listed under the browser tree whether it's connected or disconnected. If you select a server that isn't connected, then you must enter the password before using that server.

Select the databases to compare. The databases can be the same or different, and from the same or different servers.

Select the source and target schemas to compare.

After you select servers, databases, and schemas, select Compare to get the comparison results.

Use the lists of Functions, Materialized Views, Tables, Trigger Functions, Procedures, and Views to view the DDL statements of all the schema objects.

To filter the schema objects, select Filter in the upper-right corner of the Object Comparison panel. Filter the schema objects according to these criteria:

  • Identical If the object is found in both schemas with the same SQL statement, then the comparison result is identical.
  • Different If the object is found in both schemas with different SQL statements, then the comparison result is different.
  • Source Only If the object is found only in source schema and not in target schema, then the comparison result is source only.
  • Target Only If the object is found only in target schema and not in source schema, then the comparison result is target only.

Select any of the schema objects in the Object Comparison panel to display the DDL statements for that object in the DDL Comparison panel.

Schema Diff DDL Comparison panel

The DDL Comparison panel displays three columns:

  • The first column displays the DDL statement of the object from the source schema.
  • The second column displays the DDL statement of the object from the target schema.
  • The third column displays the difference in the SQL statement of the target schema object.

To check for differences in the SQL statements, review the DDL statements of all the schema objects.

The Schema Diff tool can generate a SQL script with the differences found in the target schema object. The SQL script compares the target schema object to the SQL statement of the source schema object. To generate the script:

  1. In the Object Comparison panel, select the check boxes of the schema objects.
  2. Select Generate Script.

To open the Query tool in a new tab and display the differences in the SQL statement in the Query Editor:

  1. Select the schema objects.
  2. Select Generate Script.

If you select the schema object to check the difference generated in the DDL Comparison panel but don't select the check box of the schema object, then PEM opens the Query tool in a new tab. The Query tool displays the differences in the SQL statements in the Query Editor.

To copy the difference generated in the DDL Comparison panel, select Copy.

Apply the SQL Statement in the target schema to synchronize the schemas.