Table Structure

The Table Structure view lets you inspect and modify a table’s schema without writing DDL by hand. Browse columns, indexes, and foreign keys, then use the visual Structure Designer to make changes and preview the generated SQL before applying it.

Browsing Structure

Select any table in the sidebar and click the Structure tab (next to Data). You’ll see three sections:

Columns — a list of every column with:

• Name
• Data type
• Nullable (yes/no)
• Default value
• Primary key indicator

Indexes — all indexes on the table, including the primary key index, unique constraints, and any custom indexes you’ve created.

Foreign keys — relationships to other tables, showing the local column, the referenced table, and the referenced column.

This view is read-only. To make changes, open the Structure Designer.

Structure Designer

Click Edit Structure to open the visual designer. It loads the current columns and lets you modify them with a form-based interface — no SQL required.

What you can do:

• Add a column — click “Add column” to append a new row. Set the name, type, default value, and whether it’s nullable or unique.
• Rename a column — edit the name field directly. SoftDB generates the appropriate ALTER TABLE ... RENAME COLUMN statement.
• Change a type — update the type field. SoftDB warns you if the type change might cause data loss.
• Set defaults and nullability — toggle the NOT NULL checkbox and enter a default expression.
• Drop a column — click the delete icon on any row. Dropped columns are highlighted in red until you apply.
• Reorder columns — drag rows to reorder them. The order is reflected in the generated DDL for new tables.

Preview and Apply

Before any changes hit the database, you review the generated DDL.

1. Make your changes in the designer.

2. Click Preview to generate the SQL. SoftDB shows the exact statements it will run — ALTER TABLE, ADD COLUMN, DROP COLUMN, etc.

3. Review the SQL. If something looks wrong, go back and adjust.

4. Click Apply to execute. SoftDB runs the statements and refreshes the schema.

Caution

Dropping a column is irreversible. SoftDB highlights destructive operations in the preview panel so you can catch them before applying.

Database Limitations

Not every database supports every schema operation. The designer adapts to what your database can do.

Feature	PostgreSQL	MySQL	SQLite	Redshift
Add column	Yes	Yes	Yes (limited)	Yes
Rename column	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Change type	Yes	Yes	No	No
Drop column	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

SQLite has the most restrictions. It doesn’t support ALTER TABLE ... MODIFY COLUMN, so type changes aren’t available. Adding columns works but only at the end of the table.

Redshift doesn’t support changing column types after creation. You’d need to create a new column, copy data, and drop the old one — a workflow better handled manually for now.

MongoDB

For MongoDB connections, the Structure Designer is replaced by a JSON Schema Validation editor. This lets you define a JSON Schema that MongoDB uses to validate documents on insert and update.

The editor provides a full JSON editor with syntax highlighting and validation. Changes are applied via collMod with the validator option.