Liquibase can generate several types of output files that help you analyze or preview database changes. By using the --output-file flag with an az:// path, you can store these files directly in your Azure Blob Storage container for centralized access.

Store a snapshot

Use the snapshot command when you want to capture the current structure of your database as a reference point. This is useful for auditing, version control, or pre-migration analysis.

Before you run the example code, be sure to:

• Replace your_blob_container with the name of your blob storage container in Azure where you would like to upload the file.

• Replace test-snapshot.json with your preferred output file name, if desired.

Example Code

liquibase snapshot \ --snapshot-format=json \ --output-file="az://your_blob_container/test-snapshot.json"

Store a diff

The diff command compares two databases and generates a difference report. It’s commonly used at the end of a project to verify that all changes are captured in the changelog, or to detect drift between an expected schema and the actual state of a database.

Before you run the example code, be sure to:

• Replace your_blob_container with the name of your blob storage container in Azure where you would like to upload the file.

• Replace test-diff.txt with your preferred output file name, if desired.

• Update the --reference-url value to match the connection string for your reference database. This is the source database you want to compare from.

• Update the --url value to match the connection string for your target database. This is the database you are using to compare against.

Example Code

liquibase diff \ --reference-url=jdbc:h2:mem:reference \ --url=jdbc:h2:mem:target \ --output-file="az://your_blob_container/test-diff.txt"

Store SQL output

The updateSQL command generates the SQL statements from the changelog and saves them as a preview file, rather than running them on a database. This is often used for code review, audits, or manual application in locked-down environments.

Before you run the example code, be sure to:

• Replace your_blob_container with the name of your blob storage container in Azure where you would like to upload the file.

• Replace your_changelog.sql with the file name for your changelog file.

• Replace update-preview.sql with your preferred output file name, if desired.

Note: This example assumes you already have a changelog file stored in an Azure Blob container that you would like to use. You can also reference a changelog from a local directory.

Example Code

liquibase updateSQL \ --changelog-file=az://your_blob_container/your_changelog.sql \ --output-file="az://your_blob_container/update-preview.sql"