PostgreSQL GUI Upgrade Alert: What’s New in dbForge Studio for PostgreSQL 3.2?

by Edwin Sanchez, Software Developer & Project Manager with 20+ years of experience

It’s Friday. Ben’s meeting for the next project just wrapped up. Everybody wants a taste of dinner at home and a “me” time. Ben stayed for a while to check a few things. To his shock, his favorite PostgreSQL GUI has connectivity problems with Supabase.

But what’s the big deal? If everything else fails, there’s pgAdmin.

But Ben feels differently. It’s his favorite PostgreSQL IDE, and now it feels dated.

The worst part?

His license expired. It could have been an upgrade away.

Ben uses dbForge Studio for PostgreSQL 3.1.

Upgrading to dbForge Studio for PostgreSQL 3.2: What’s in it for You?

So, Ben stops his boss.

He needs the new upgrade. And he needs his boss to add this item to the project budget.

“Is it worth it?”, the boss asked.

You can’t blame his boss. It’s his job to keep budgets at bay. But wouldn’t your boss ask for the same?

Let’s see. dbForge Studio for PostgreSQL is already a top-notch PostgreSQL GUI. My favorite features as a coder are:

• Intelligent SQL coding assistant: It increases my coding speed because of code suggestions, syntax highlighting, automatic syntax checking, and snippets. This is at the top spot and nothing is like dbForge Studio.
• Query Profiler: Query speed is very important because users can’t wait. This profiler helps me hunt for query speed wreckers and squash them.
• Data Generator: I need realistic test data based on real-world scenarios. And I need them to available asap. I know you do too.
• Schema Compare: This is handy during deployments. I need this so all updates go to production. Nothing should be left behind.

There’s more to dbForge Studio for PostgreSQL. But the 3.2 update brings even more:

• More cloud support: 3.2 added connectivity to more PostgreSQL deployments in the cloud as you will see later. This is also the answer to Ben’s problem.
• Support for PostgreSQL 17: This is the latest and greatest at the time of writing.
• Upgraded Data Export: Copying data in Excel format is now supported directly from the Data Editor grid.
• New smart generators: Data Generation now produces even more lifelike results with an expanded 200+ generators.
• Redesigned Query History window: See more control in your executed queries over time.
• Upgraded Schema and Data Compare comparison reports: There are new options for generating the comparison reports as you will see later.
• and more.

In this article, we will focus on the above.

So, let’s dive in.

1. Expanded Cloud Database Support

Ben’s favorite PostgreSQL client added the following cloud support:

• Added support for Supabase
• Added support for Google Cloud
• Added support for AlloyDB
• Added support for Azure Cosmos DB for PostgreSQL.

Supabase is there, so that’s what Ben needs for his new project. Supabase is an open-source alternative to Firebase, and it hosts your project with a PostgreSQL database.

Below is a sample connection to Supabase from dbForge Studio for PostgreSQL:

It connects fine. But note the following when connecting to a PostgreSQL database in Supabase:

• Direct connection supports IPv6 by default. Note this fact if you’re on a free tier and want to test it out. Your internet connection should support IPv6 to benefit from a direct connection.
• If you don’t have IPv6, you can use a Session pooler that supports IPv4 by default. Using this option requires the correct host and user. Note the Project ID because you need to postfix this to your username (e.g. <username>.<project_id>). The above image uses the Session pooler with postgres as the user and the Project ID after it.

Connecting dbForge Studio for PostgreSQL 3.2 for the other cloud providers will have similar Connection properties. Consult the documentation for AlloyDB, Azure, and Google Cloud for more details.

2. Connectivity Support for PostgreSQL 17

Users of dbForge Studio for PostgreSQL GUI can now connect to PostgreSQL 17 — the latest version at the time of writing. New projects using the latest version should benefit from this latest update.

Check out a successful test connection to PostgreSQL 17 below:

3. Enhanced Test Data Generation with 200+ Generators

When Data Generation was added in dbForge Studio for PostgreSQL 3.0, it was pretty basic. It’s far from its siblings like the Data Generation in dbForge Edge.

But in Professional edition 3.2, this has changed. There are generators for:

• Basic info: Files Folder, Lorem Ipsum, Shuffled Text, and Text File.
• Smart Generators: The following are new categories: Business, IT, Payment, Location, Product, Health, and Personal.

See them for yourself:

Basic Generators:

Business Data: (for primary keys, annual revenues, and more)

Product:

Payment:

Personal:

Location:

IT:

Health:

Generating test data has become easier in dbForge Studio for PostgreSQL 3.2 db manager. All in all, there are over 200 generators of realistic data for all your testing needs.

4. Improved Query History Management

If you’ve been coding SQL for a while now, you know that going back to how you run your queries in sequence is a lifesaver. And dbForge Studio for PostgreSQL is the PostgreSQL GUI client that does that with the Query History.

The toolbar now features a selection of date ranges and a Clear button for wiping out the entire history.

Check out the sample below:

The above shows the history of the SQL statements that ran on a specific date and time. Hovering the mouse on an entry shows the details. Clicking one of the rows will show the SQL statement for that particular query history in the pane below it.

Like me, Ben uses this during a long PostgreSQL script crafting for development and testing. And if Ben makes a mistake, he can review the history of how it arrived that way.

This could prove to be a lifesaver to you too.

5. Advanced Command-Line Enhancements

Ben loves command-line and automation features in dbForge Studio. He specifically admires the CLI feature improvements in both Schema and Data Compare. Comparison reports are now accessible from within the wizard. You can also output the report into various formats like XML for Excel and append timestamps in the report filename.

See a sample below showing the Schema Compare CLI settings:

And below is the one for Data Compare:

This way, you can have recurring comparison reports on every run of the Schema and Data Compare.

6. Data Editor Enhancements

Ben frequently receives requests to retrieve some data and put it in an Excel file. In dbForge Studio for PostgreSQL 3.2, he doesn’t need to copy the results in the grid and paste it into Excel. It’s now built-in. He can highlight the results in the grid to select the data. Then, right-click the grid. And select Copy Data As -> EXCEL -> To File.

See a sample below:

Another cool new feature of the Data Editor is setting a cell to a Unique Identifier value. All you need is to right-click the cell in question. Then, select Set Value To -> Unique Identifier. And a UUID will be generated for that cell.

Check out a sample below:

7. Auto-Append Timestamp

Version 3.2 added an auto-append timestamp option in the data population script filename. This means that options selected in the Data Generation filename can have version tracking. Versioning your data generation script files can prove handy when you need to go back to a previous version of the file.

See a sample of the timestamp on the data generation script filename below:

So, if you want to have version tracking, just mark the Append timestamp to the file name checkbox.

This is in addition to appending timestamps in the Schema Comparison report filename, as seen below:

And in Data Comparison:

8. Security and Usability Updates

A secure database environment is important to protect sensitive data. And in 3.2, dbForge Studio for PostgreSQL has included support for rds-ca-rsa2048-g1 SSL/TLS certificate for connecting to PostgreSQL servers on Amazon Web Services.

Version 3.2 also enhanced the code suggestions for foreign keys and triggers to improve the coding speed for those objects. Overall usability has improved with the new features and bug fixes. This will enhance the coding experience when using the SQL text editor.

Benefits of Upgrading to dbForge Studio for PostgreSQL 3.2 GUI

Ben’s boss is still skeptical after being aware of the Supabase connectivity support. So, the next morning, Ben discussed the above points. He also summarized them as seen in the following PostgreSQL GUI benefits of dbForge Studio:

• Improved connectivity: With the addition of other cloud PostgreSQL providers and PostgreSQL 17, dbForge Studio for PostgreSQL has expanded its list of places where companies can place their PostgreSQL databases.
• More realistic test data: The additions of more basic and smart data generators that now balloon to 200+ generators can improve test data generation. The realistic test data will look better on apps and performance tests can be performed on them.
• Improved CLI and automation for Schema and Data Compare: This is very handy during deployments to sync every bit of changes from development to production. With the improvements in managing the script and comparison report, Ben and his team will have more confidence in their deployments.
• File-tracking improvements: By appending timestamps to files, Ben and his team’s data generation and comparison reports can be tracked over time.
• Security and usability improvements: Ben and his team can better perform their database tasks with confidence with the usability improvements. It covers coding, security certificates, data generation, and more.

In the end, Ben emphasized that the upgrade is a big deal for him and his team.

What Now?

It’s your turn, dear reader.

If you already have the license, simply update your copy of dbForge Studio for PostgreSQL by clicking Help -> Check for Updates. Then, follow the instructions until your copy is updated.

If you haven’t tried dbForge Studio for PostgreSQL, you’re missing a productivity booster. Try it out today by downloading a copy of this amazing PostgreSQL GUI from here.