Catalog JSON Structure
catalog.json is the main configuration source behind DBModeler’s engine definitions and SQL behavior.
What the catalog contains
Section titled “What the catalog contains”At a high level, the catalog defines:
- metadata about the catalog itself
- supported engines
- canonical types
- aliases for import normalization
- enum and array support rules
- ID generation behavior
- DDL command templates
Why it matters
Section titled “Why it matters”The catalog is the layer that lets DBModeler separate logical modeling from physical SQL output.
Without it, the app would need hardcoded engine logic across import, editing, validator export, and SQL generation.
Core sections to understand
Section titled “Core sections to understand”engines
Section titled “engines”Defines per-engine behavior such as naming, quoting, storage capabilities, and foreign-key action support.
Defines canonical type IDs and their fallback behavior across engines.
aliases
Section titled “aliases”Helps normalize engine-specific SQL spellings during import.
DDL command groups
Section titled “DDL command groups”Provide the SQL templates used by the generator when building statements for tables, columns, constraints, and related objects.
When you would touch it
Section titled “When you would touch it”Most end users never edit the catalog directly.
This structure matters when you:
- extend DBModeler with a custom catalog
- debug unexpected SQL output
- need to understand why a type or action behaves differently by engine
Next: Schemas JSON Structure