How does Atlas ensure SQL documentation is up-to-date in 2026?

Atlas generates SQL documentation by directly reading the current source code, including Flyway migrations and .sql files, rather than relying on outdated specifications or memory. This ensures the README reflects the code's actual behavior today.

Can Atlas document specific SQL functions or stored procedures?

Yes, Atlas uses the lsp tool's documentSymbol operation to enumerate specific SQL functions, stored procedures, and other declarations within your .sql files, ensuring no public API surface is missed or invented in the documentation.

Does Atlas support my existing SQL development workflow?

Atlas is designed to integrate with your existing SQL toolchain, recognizing pgTAP for testing, Flyway migrations for schema management, and sqlfluff format for code formatting. It uses actual commands and file paths familiar to SQL developers.

How does Atlas prevent incorrect SQL code examples in documentation?

Atlas rigorously verifies every SQL code sample it includes in documentation by executing it with the bash tool. This process ensures that all examples are runnable and accurately reflect the current state of your SQL codebase.

What kind of review process does Atlas offer for SQL documentation changes?

Atlas provides a robust review process, including a read-only plan agent that drafts changes, permission-gated tool calls, and a unified diff for every proposed file edit. This allows SQL developers to approve all changes to their README.md or .sql files.

Can Atlas work with my local SQL development environment?

Yes, Atlas can build its code index with local Ollama embeddings, keeping your SQL code off third-party servers. It runs in your repository, reading your schema, migration history, and query files directly, connecting to Model Context Protocol servers.

How does Atlas handle SQL code style in documentation?

While Atlas focuses on documenting functionality, it can leverage knowledge of tools like sqlfluff format to understand code structure and present examples in a consistent, readable manner, reflecting the actual formatting of your .sql files.

Document a SQL Module with a README using Atlas in 2026

In 2026, Atlas empowers SQL developers to produce precise, up-to-date documentation for any module by directly analyzing the codebase, ensuring READMEs reflect the current state of your Flyway migrations and pgTAP tests. This approach guarantees that documentation for your SQL code, formatted with sqlfluff format, is always traceable to the actual source, eliminating discrepancies between code and its description.

How does Atlas generate accurate READMEs for SQL modules?

In 2026, Atlas generates precise READMEs for SQL modules by directly analyzing the codebase, ensuring documentation reflects the current state of your Flyway migrations and .sql files. This process begins by enumerating the module's public API using the lsp tool's documentSymbol operation, ensuring no export is missed or invented.

Atlas documents SQL modules by first using the lsp tool's documentSymbol operation to enumerate the real exported surface of your SQL code, such as functions, procedures, and views defined in your .sql files. Following this, Atlas employs the read tool to understand the implementation details of each export. To provide context on how these SQL components are actually used in practice, Atlas utilizes codebase_search across your repository. Before writing, Atlas greps the repository for an existing README to match its heading structure and tone, rather than inventing a new format. Finally, the write tool emits the new or updated README, quoting real SQL signatures and actual file paths. This entire workflow ensures that every claim in the documentation is traceable to a file Atlas just read, making the documentation verifiable rather than merely plausible.

What SQL commands and file paths does Atlas use for documentation?

Atlas integrates direct with your existing SQL toolchain in 2026, referencing real commands like pgTAP for testing and Flyway migrations for package management. When documenting, Atlas shows actual file paths such as src/main/resources/db/migration/V1__create_users_table.sql and config files, ensuring a concrete and familiar experience for SQL developers.

Atlas's documentation process is deeply rooted in the SQL developer's environment. It understands and references the actual commands and file structures you use daily. For instance, when verifying code samples, Atlas can leverage the pgTAP test runner to ensure SQL snippets are functional. It recognizes Flyway migrations for managing schema changes, understanding the structure of files like V<VERSION>__<NAME>.sql to identify module boundaries and dependencies. Atlas also respects your code formatting standards, implicitly acknowledging tools like sqlfluff format when presenting code examples. By quoting real SQL file paths, such as functions/my_function.sql or tests/my_function_test.sql, and actual SQL signatures, Atlas ensures the documentation is specific, actionable, and immediately recognizable to any SQL developer.

How does Atlas verify SQL code samples for documentation accuracy?

Atlas ensures every SQL code sample in a generated README is accurate and runnable in 2026 by executing it with the bash tool. A sample that has never been executed is considered a liability, so Atlas rigorously tests each snippet to guarantee its validity against the current codebase, preventing outdated or incorrect examples.

The integrity of documentation hinges on the accuracy of its code samples. For SQL modules, Atlas addresses this critical need by employing the bash tool to verify every code sample it includes in the generated README. Before the documentation is finalized, Atlas attempts to execute each SQL snippet, confirming that it runs as expected against the current state of your database or a simulated environment. This proactive verification step is crucial for SQL developers, as it guarantees that the examples provided in the README accurately reflect the code's current behavior and are not merely theoretical or based on outdated assumptions. This process directly supports the goal of documenting what the code actually does today, not what it was supposed to do a year ago.

What safety and review mechanisms does Atlas provide for SQL documentation?

Atlas incorporates multiple safety and review mechanisms for SQL documentation in 2026, ensuring developers maintain full control over changes. Every Atlas tool call is permission-gated, and a read-only plan agent drafts a strategy before any modifications are proposed, offering a robust review process for your SQL codebase.

Atlas prioritizes developer control and safety throughout the documentation generation process for SQL modules. Before any changes are made, Atlas drafts a plan in a read-only plan agent, which is then presented for your review and approval before switching to a build agent. Every tool call Atlas makes, including lsp, read, codebase_search, grep, write, and bash, is permission-gated against allow, ask, and deny rules, giving you granular control over its actions. For every file edit, such as updating a README.md or suggesting changes to a .sql file, Atlas computes a unified diff and surfaces it for your approval before writing. Furthermore, Atlas snapshots file changes as git patches, allowing edits to be easily diffed and rolled back if necessary, providing a secure and transparent workflow for documenting your SQL code.

Step by step

01Run atlas in your SQL repository containing your Flyway migrations or .sql files.
02Let Atlas read your SQL schema, migration history, and query files, building its code index with local Ollama embeddings.
03Instruct Atlas to 'Document the my_sql_module with a README' to initiate the process.
04Atlas will use the lsp tool's documentSymbol operation to enumerate public SQL functions, procedures, and views from your .sql files.
05Atlas will read the implementation of each SQL export and use codebase_search to find how callers actually use it in practice across your project.
06Atlas will grep your repository for an existing README.md to match its heading structure and tone, ensuring consistency.
07Atlas will write the new README.md with the write tool, quoting real SQL signatures and real file paths like functions/calculate_tax.sql.
08Atlas will verify every SQL code sample in the drafted README.md by running it with the bash tool, ensuring accuracy and preventing liabilities.
09Review the unified diff for the proposed README.md changes and approve them before Atlas stages and creates a commit on your behalf.

Frequently asked questions

How does Atlas ensure SQL documentation is up-to-date in 2026?: Atlas generates SQL documentation by directly reading the current source code, including Flyway migrations and .sql files, rather than relying on outdated specifications or memory. This ensures the README reflects the code's actual behavior today.
Can Atlas document specific SQL functions or stored procedures?: Yes, Atlas uses the lsp tool's documentSymbol operation to enumerate specific SQL functions, stored procedures, and other declarations within your .sql files, ensuring no public API surface is missed or invented in the documentation.
Does Atlas support my existing SQL development workflow?: Atlas is designed to integrate with your existing SQL toolchain, recognizing pgTAP for testing, Flyway migrations for schema management, and sqlfluff format for code formatting. It uses actual commands and file paths familiar to SQL developers.
How does Atlas prevent incorrect SQL code examples in documentation?: Atlas rigorously verifies every SQL code sample it includes in documentation by executing it with the bash tool. This process ensures that all examples are runnable and accurately reflect the current state of your SQL codebase.
What kind of review process does Atlas offer for SQL documentation changes?: Atlas provides a robust review process, including a read-only plan agent that drafts changes, permission-gated tool calls, and a unified diff for every proposed file edit. This allows SQL developers to approve all changes to their README.md or .sql files.
Can Atlas work with my local SQL development environment?: Yes, Atlas can build its code index with local Ollama embeddings, keeping your SQL code off third-party servers. It runs in your repository, reading your schema, migration history, and query files directly, connecting to Model Context Protocol servers.
How does Atlas handle SQL code style in documentation?: While Atlas focuses on documenting functionality, it can leverage knowledge of tools like sqlfluff format to understand code structure and present examples in a consistent, readable manner, reflecting the actual formatting of your .sql files.

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