Database Export

Database Export creates reviewable SQL scripts for small backups, migrations, test datasets, or snapshots before risky changes. It can export one database/schema or orchestrate separate exports for multiple databases in a connection.

SQL export is a logical export, not a database-native physical backup. Use official database tools for large production systems, point-in-time recovery, incremental backup, or strict consistency. For scheduled consistent MySQL and PostgreSQL exports, see Database Backup.

Exported Content

Content	Details
Table structure	`CREATE TABLE`, columns, primary keys, indexes, constraints, and other DDL visible through the driver
Table data	Rows read in batches and written as `INSERT` statements without loading the entire table first
Database objects	Views, sequences, extensions, procedures, and functions where the engine exposes readable definitions
Database creation	Optional MySQL `CREATE DATABASE IF NOT EXISTS` and `USE` preamble
Import helpers	Engine-specific setup and cleanup for foreign-key checks, identity writes, routine delimiters, and similar requirements

When exporting only selected tables, structure and data are limited to that subset. Schema-wide routines are not pulled in merely because a few tables were selected. Object coverage always depends on the database and driver.

Single-Database Export

Select Connection and Database

Choose a database and schema when applicable, then select the tables to include.

Configure Content and DDL

Select structure, data, objects, drop-existing-table behavior, MySQL database creation, and auto-increment handling.

Choose the Output

Desktop writes to a selected local .sql path. Docker/Web writes to temporary server storage and downloads the result through the browser.

Generate in Background and Review

Progress reports preparation, the current object, object index, exported rows, errors, and cancellation. The task remains visible in the progress center.

After a successful Desktop export, the task result can reveal the output in the file manager. Web removes the temporary server file after download.

Export All Databases

Enable Export All Databases to search and select multiple databases from the current connection:

Non-schema engines normally produce one .sql file per database
Schema-aware engines such as PostgreSQL build a plan per schema; when a database has multiple schemas, filenames include both database and schema
Desktop writes each plan item into a selected output directory
Docker/Web generates each file on the server and triggers browser downloads
If one plan item fails or is cancelled, later items stop; already completed files are not removed automatically

All-database export is serial orchestration of independent logical exports. It is not one cross-database transaction or an instance-wide consistent snapshot.

Structure Options

Drop Existing Tables

When enabled, DBX writes database-adapted DROP TABLE IF EXISTS statements before the matching CREATE TABLE. Running the script can delete target data, so review this option carefully.

MySQL Create Database

MySQL exports can add CREATE DATABASE IF NOT EXISTS and USE at the beginning. The importing account needs appropriate privileges. The option is off by default to avoid unexpected database creation or context switching.

MySQL Auto-Increment Start

By default, table-level AUTO_INCREMENT=N is preserved. Omit Auto Increment removes only that table option; it does not remove the column's AUTO_INCREMENT attribute. This is useful when a fresh environment should choose its own starting sequence value.

Data Writing and Consistency

DBX uses paged or streaming reads and writes rows incrementally. Interactive exports currently use a batch size of 1000 rows. Generated inserts may be multi-row or single-row depending on database capabilities.

The export path attempts to:

Disable and later restore MySQL foreign-key checks
Wrap explicit writes to supported identity columns when required
Format strings, dates, JSON, arrays, binary values, and NULL for the target dialect
Add routine delimiters or batch boundaries required by the database
Use a stable session on supported connections to reduce drift between batches of the same table

Interactive SQL export still cannot promise one global snapshot across every database and object. Use Database Backup or native database tooling when consistency is required.

Errors and Cancellation

When a table or object cannot be read, regular export paths may write an error as an SQL comment and continue; metadata, connection, or file failures can terminate the task
Cancellation takes effect between objects or row batches
Desktop may leave a partial file that must be checked before reuse
Web cleans temporary server files after failure or cancellation and does not trigger a successful download
A successful export only confirms file generation, not a successful restore on another database

Restore and Validation

Use SQL File Execution to preview and run an exported script. Before restoring, check:

Target engine and version compatibility
Whether the file contains DROP TABLE, CREATE DATABASE, or large insert batches
Create, object, and data-write privileges
Table counts, row counts, indexes, constraints, sequences, and critical objects after import

Exported files may contain password hashes, tokens, personal information, and business-sensitive data. Do not commit unmasked exports to public repositories or send them to untrusted environments.