Test queries with branching

In the previous data recovery example, a DELETE query was executed on the elements table to remove duplicates, but the problematic query deleted most of your data.

Since a DELETE query is a potentially destructive operation, it is recommended that you test DELETE queries before you run them on your production database to make sure they work as intended. You can do this in Neon by creating a test branch.

Create a test branch

Navigate to the Branches page and click on the New Branch button to create a new branch. Name the branch test_branch.

This time, create the branch from Head, which creates a branch with the most up-to-date state of your database. Specify the recovery branch you created previously as the parent branch.

Run your query

Navigate to the SQL Editor, select the test branch, and run your new DELETE query.

DELETE FROM elements
WHERE (id, elementName, atomicNumber, symbol) IN (
  SELECT id, elementName, atomicNumber, symbol
  FROM elements
  GROUP BY id, elementName, atomicNumber, symbol
  HAVING COUNT(*) > 1
);

Next, run the following query to verify that the query ran as intended:

SELECT * FROM elements ORDER BY id;

You should find that the query successfully removed duplicates from the elements table. You can now safely apply the query to your production branch, and the test branch can be deleted.

Conclusion

Congratulations. You have completed the Neon tutorial. Here is a recap of what was covered:

• You learned how to set up a Neon project.
• You learned how to create a table and insert data using the Neon SQL Editor.
• You learned how to explore data using the Tables feature in the Neon Console.
• You learned about Neon's database branching feature and how you can use it to recover lost data.
• You learned how to use a branch to test a potentially destructive query before running it in production.