Sync & Export Commands

Commands for synchronizing with Dolt.

bd dolt push

Push changes to a Dolt remote.

bd dolt push [flags]

What it does:

1. Dolt commit (snapshot current database state)
2. Push commits to Dolt remote

Examples:

bd dolt push

When to use:

• End of work session
• Before switching machines
• After significant changes

bd dolt pull

Pull changes from a Dolt remote.

bd dolt pull [flags]

What it does:

1. Fetches commits from Dolt remote
2. Merges into local database

Examples:

bd dolt pull

When to use:

• Start of work session
• After switching machines
• Before creating new issues (to avoid duplicates)

bd export

Export database to JSONL format (for backup and migration).

bd export [flags]

Flags:

--output, -o    Output file (default: stdout)
--dry-run       Preview without writing
--json          JSON output

Examples:

bd export
bd export -o backup.jsonl
bd export --dry-run

When to use: bd export is for backup and data migration, not day-to-day sync. Dolt handles sync natively via bd dolt push/bd dolt pull.

bd migrate

Migrate database schema.

bd migrate [flags]

Flags:

--inspect    Show migration plan (for agents)
--dry-run    Preview without changes
--cleanup    Remove old files after migration
--yes        Skip confirmation
--json       JSON output

Examples:

bd migrate --inspect --json
bd migrate --dry-run
bd migrate
bd migrate --cleanup --yes

bd hooks

Manage git hooks.

bd hooks <subcommand> [flags]

Subcommands:

Examples:

bd hooks install
bd hooks status
bd hooks uninstall

Auto-Sync Behavior

With Dolt Server Mode (Default)

When the Dolt server is running, sync is handled automatically:

• Dolt auto-commit tracks changes
• Dolt-native replication handles remote sync

Start the Dolt server with bd dolt start.

Embedded Mode (No Server)

In CI/CD pipelines and ephemeral environments, no server is needed:

• Changes written directly to the database
• Must manually push to remote

bd create "CI-generated task"
bd dolt push  # Manual push needed

Conflict Resolution

Dolt handles conflict resolution at the database level using its built-in merge capabilities. When conflicts arise during bd dolt pull, Dolt identifies conflicting rows and allows resolution through SQL.

# Check for conflicts after pull
bd doctor --fix

Deletion Tracking

Deletions are tracked in the Dolt database:

# Delete issue
bd delete bd-42

# View deletions
bd deleted
bd deleted --since=30d

# Deletions propagate via Dolt push
bd dolt push

Best Practices

1. Always push at session end - bd dolt push
2. Always pull at session start - bd dolt pull
3. Install git hooks - bd hooks install
4. Check sync status - bd info shows sync state