Who Is Schema Explorer For?

If you are one of the following (or similar) you should give Schema Explorer a try.

The database-guru coder

You always seem to work on the database side of the project more than the rest of your programmer colleagues.

Use Schema Explorer to better explain the schema to less db-loving team members. Share it with your team to help them code against the database with more self-serve and with less mistakes and misunderstandings.

Use it to answer your own questions faster and with less impact on your mental stack while coding.

The team lead / CTO / founder

You have an eye on the time/cost for bringing someone up to speed. You want your team to use the best tools available because they pay for themselves.

Schema Explorer will cut the amount time a new team member spends unable to contribute while they learn the system. Having Schema Explorer will make new team members happier and allow them to more quickly move on to solving the important problems you hired them to help with.

If a new tool makes your team even 1% better/stronger/faster then they must have it! End of.

The newbie on a team

You want to not feel out of depth and unproductive. You need to understand this team’s schema fast.

Use Schema Explorer to get a feel for the database faster. Use Schema Explorer as a regular reference so you don’t have to memorize every detail of the database you’re now working with.

The systems integrator

You regularly encounter big legacy databases and have to work out how they work. You’re an expert at doing so but it’s such a time-sink that doesn’t move the project forward. You can never get hold of anyone who knows anything about the database, and of course the documentation is non-existent / out of date / misleading.

Use Schema Explorer to shine a light on the spaghetti and more quickly move on to building the integrations. Use it as a fast reference while you work through the details of integrating.

The architect

You want to see that your plan has been correctly implemented.

Use Schema Exporer to inspect what the developer’s ORM actually produced.

The consultant

You wants to impress the client with how quickly you can master the client’s software & database.

Use Schema Explorer as your secret weapon to make you seem like you must have worked on this database for years by having a better understanding of their database than the client does.

The database administrator (DBA)

You live and breath the database. You know much dark magic and have seen many horrors (mostly induced by ignorant developers). You are fed up with having to explain to the developers the basics of relational databases. You get pestered to answer trivial questions about the database by people who can’t or won’t look at the schema definition or write basic SQL themselves.

Give access to Schema Explorer to everyone else so they can answer questions about the database themselves instead of distracting you. You can now go back to more important matters like saving the company from its own short-sighted stupidity (hey boss can I have the purchase order for the backup system yet?). You might even find it a useful addition to your SQL skills occasionally.