Deploy database but not users

[thomas.isberg]

Hi!

I have a website where users register and become members. Naturally I create a PW user for every new member, and use PW's login functionality.

I want to go live with the website, but also want to continue development. I have a lot of ideas and would like to update the website with new templates and stuff once a day for a few weeks now, and then maybe once a week while adding new features.

I usually export my entire local database when I update the website, and then import it on the server. But if I do that, every new website member on the live website will get lost.

Does anyone have a good idea on how to approach this? I thought about exporting all the members to file before I import the new database, and then import them again, but:

a) It just doesn't feel safe.

b) I can't figure out how to set their passwords right during import. Export gives me hashed passwords.

Cheers and thanks!

.Thomas

[SiNNuT]

A straight up export->import of database dumps from dev to live seems like a disaster waiting to happen.

Definitely read this: http://processwire.com/talk/topic/1284-best-practice-for-staging-to-live-database-synchronization/#entry12752

I would also look into some tools that aid in comparing and syncing.

Did some Googling:

http://blog.webyog.com/2012/10/16/so-how-do-you-sync-your-database-schema/

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/225772/compare-two-mysql-databases

http://blog.webyog.com/2012/10/23/all-you-wanted-to-know-about-sqlyogs-schema-comparison-tool/

http://www.red-gate.com/products/sql-development/sql-compare/screenshots

http://www.quest.com/toad-for-mysql/

[thomas.isberg]

Thanks! I read the forum thread and realize that every website that need to be updated deals with this issue, since editorial content is likely created on the live server. I only thought of the problem with my users, since I'm in development phase and make every update locally before I publish live.

Thanks also for your tips from Google!