Obsidian DBML

DBML authoring, validation, generation, and diagram preview.

Features

• Opens .dbml files as editable Obsidian documents.
• Renders interactive ER diagrams from .dbml files
• Renders fenced Markdown code blocks using ```dbml in Reading view.
• Optional Live Preview diagram widgets for fenced DBML blocks.
• DBML parse diagnostics through CodeMirror linting and preview error panels.
• Per-diagram visual state persistence using hidden .dbml-layout.json sidecar files or plugin data.
• Generate DBML from Postgres, MySQL, SQL Server, or Snowflake connection strings.
• Supports DiagramView blocks with a view dropdown in the preview.
• Adds New database diagram to folder/file context menus and the command palette.

Development

bun install
bun run build

Release

Create a tag that matches package.json and src/manifest.json, then push it to GitHub:

git tag 1.0.1
git push origin 1.0.1

The release workflow builds the plugin and uploads dist/main.js, dist/manifest.json, and dist/styles.css to the GitHub release.

Local Install

Copy the build output into a vault plugin folder such as .obsidian/plugins/dbml/:

mkdir -p /path/to/Vault/.obsidian/plugins/dbml
cp dist/main.js dist/manifest.json dist/styles.css /path/to/Vault/.obsidian/plugins/dbml/

Then reload Obsidian and enable the plugin.

Commands

• DBML: New database diagram
• DBML: Open database diagram preview to the side
• DBML: Generate DBML from Database Connection
• DBML: Reset DBML diagram state

DBML workbench features

This plugin can now act as a local DBML workbench inside Obsidian:

• Import DBML from SQL/SchemaRb/JSON: paste or load active-file text and convert postgres, mysql, mssql, snowflake, oracle, schemarb, or json input to a new .dbml file.
• Export active DBML as SQL/JSON/normalized DBML: export the current .dbml file or active Markdown dbml fence to postgres, mysql, mssql, oracle, json, or normalized dbml next to the source. Existing files require overwrite confirmation.
• Generate DBML from Database Connection uses @dbml/connector to fetch schema JSON and @dbml/core importer.generateDbml before falling back to a conservative manual generator.
• Visual preview edits in the dedicated DBML preview pane can update source for implemented local actions: table rename, table/table-group color, best-effort ref creation, sticky notes, Records/data samples, and DiagramView operations. Markdown reading and Live Preview widgets are read-only by default.

Renderer feature matrix

Feature	Preview pane	Markdown reading	Live Preview
Dark mode, grid, detail levels	Yes	Yes	Yes
Table search	Configurable	Configurable	Configurable
DiagramView switching	Yes	Read-only by default	Read-only by default
Table rename	Configurable visual edit	Off by default	Off by default
Color edits	Configurable visual edit	Off by default	Off by default
Drag-to-create refs	Configurable visual edit	Off by default	Off by default
Sticky note edit	Configurable visual edit	Off by default	Off by default
Records/data sample edit	Configurable visual edit	Off by default	Off by default

Renderer Pro badges are disabled for local features; if a feature is not editable in the current context, its renderer flag is disabled instead.

Import/export formats

Import supports postgres, mysql, mssql, snowflake, oracle, schemarb, and json through @dbml/core.

Export supports postgres, mysql, mssql, oracle, json, and normalized dbml. DBML export can omit Records with the includeRecords option; JSON export can use the normalized model or the default exported JSON form.

Known SQL parser limitations

The SQL importers come from @dbml/core and inherit its parser limitations. In particular, unsupported or partial cases include many ALTER TABLE forms (ADD, DROP, ALTER, and RENAME COLUMN), DROP TABLE, DROP INDEX, ALTER INDEX, CREATE VIEW, CREATE TABLE AS SELECT, some Snowflake foreign-key/check forms, and known MSSQL column-level foreign-key edge cases. For best results, import canonical CREATE TABLE, CREATE INDEX, enum/type, and foreign-key DDL.

Source-edit safety

Visual edits re-read and re-parse the current source before writing, update only the active .dbml file or Markdown fenced block, validate the generated DBML, and leave the file unchanged if a safe patch cannot be applied. Layout-only state continues to be stored in hidden .dbml-layout.json sidecars or plugin data according to settings.