I’m working on a project where I need to convert SQL dump files (e.g., from phpMyAdmin) into CodeIgniter 4 migration files, including foreign keys and triggers. Manually writing migrations is inefficient, especially with complex schemas. Are there tools or best practices for this? I’ve started a GitHub project to address this—any feedback or suggestions?
I started by manually converting a SQL dump file (e.g., from phpMyAdmin) into CodeIgniter 4 migration files using the Forge class, defining tables and foreign keys like user_id with ON DELETE SET NULL. However, this process is time-consuming, especially with complex schemas involving triggers and multiple tables. I explored existing tools like CodeIgniter’s migration system and third-party libraries, but none fully automate the conversion of SQL dumps while preserving foreign key actions (e.g., SET NULL, NO ACTION) and triggers.
I attempted to write a custom script using PHP to parse the SQL file and generate migration code, but handling edge cases (e.g., multi-line SQL, non-standard syntax) proved challenging. I expected a more efficient solution that could read a SQL file, extract table structures, foreign keys, and triggers, and output ready-to-use CodeIgniter 4 migration files with minimal manual adjustment. To address this, I’ve begun developing a GitHub project to automate this process, but I’d like to know if there are better approaches or tools I might have missed.