SQL Server to PostgreSQL — Content Repository

This repository contains the content for the SQL Server to PostgreSQL DBA Guide, an interactive learning platform that helps experienced SQL Server DBAs transition to PostgreSQL through side-by-side comparisons.

If you know a concept, command, or workflow in SQL Server and want to help others learn the PostgreSQL equivalent — this is the right place to contribute.

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What is a "topic"?

Content is organized into topics (e.g. Backup & Recovery, User Management, Index Maintenance). Each topic contains one or more concepts, where each concept shows the SQL Server approach alongside the PostgreSQL equivalent, with a brief explanation of the key difference.

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How to contribute

Option 1 — Use the Builder Tool (easiest)

The live site includes an interactive JSON Builder tool that guides you through creating content without writing any JSON by hand:

1. Go to the site and open the JSON Builder tool
2. Fill in the form — topic name, description, and as many concepts as you like
3. For each concept, paste in your SQL Server code and PostgreSQL equivalent, add short descriptions, and optionally note a key difference
4. The tool generates a ready-to-submit JSON file for you — just download or copy it

Once you have your JSON file, follow the submission steps below.

Option 2 — Write the JSON manually

If you're comfortable with JSON, you can write your topic file directly. Each file lives in the content/topics/ folder and follows this structure:

{
  "id": "your-topic-id",
  "title": "Your Topic Title",
  "description": "A short description of what this topic covers.",
  "concepts": [
    {
      "title": "Concept Name",
      "sqlDescription": "How this works in SQL Server.",
      "sqlCode": "-- T-SQL example\nSELECT ...",
      "pgDescription": "How this works in PostgreSQL.",
      "pgCode": "-- PostgreSQL example\nSELECT ...",
      "keyDifference": "Optional: one sentence on the most important difference."
    }
  ]
}

You can use content/schema.json to validate your file if your editor supports JSON Schema.

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Submitting your contribution

1. Fork this repository
2. Add your topic JSON file to content/topics/
3. Open a Pull Request targeting the dev branch with a short description of what you've added or changed

That's it. Someone will review it, give feedback if needed, and merge it in.

Note: All pull requests must target the dev branch, not main. The dev branch is where contributions are reviewed and tested before being released. You don't need to interact with main — releases are handled by the repository owner.

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Attribution

Contributions are attributed through git history and Pull Requests. Your GitHub profile is naturally linked to any PR you open, so there is no need to include personal details in the content files themselves.

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Partial contributions are welcome

You don't need to know both sides to contribute. If you're a SQL Server expert but haven't used PostgreSQL (or vice versa), you can submit a topic with only one side filled in — leave the other side's code and description blank or add a placeholder comment.

Partial submissions should be flagged by adding the "Help Wanted" label to your Pull Request. This signals to other contributors that the missing side needs to be filled in before the topic can go live.

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Content guidelines

• Accuracy first — test your code examples before submitting. Both the SQL Server and PostgreSQL examples should actually work.
• Practical focus — real-world DBA scenarios are more valuable than textbook examples.
• Assume SQL Server knowledge — you don't need to explain SQL Server, just explain what's different in PostgreSQL.
• Keep descriptions concise — a sentence or two per description is usually enough.

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Questions or ideas?

Open an issue if you have a topic suggestion, spot an error, or want to discuss something before writing a full contribution. All feedback is welcome.