I built a zero-dependency "Time Machine" for local SQLite databases. Scrub back to any previous state in seconds.
!!LOCAL DEV TOOL!!
Hey everyone,
I wanted to share a local development tool I built because I was tired of manually copying .sqlite.bak files every time I needed to test destructive scripts, run complex migrations, or debug a state issue in my local environment.
I built the Time-Travel SQLite Debugger – an ultra-lightweight, UI-driven tool that watches your .sqlite file and creates restorable snapshots in real-time. You literally just drag a visual timeline scrubber to travel back in time and instantly restore your database to a previous state.
🚀 Under the Hood & Stress Tests:
I wanted to make sure it wasn't just a toy, but something that handles heavy local stress without freezing:
Zero Dependencies: Just pure PHP and a clean Tailwind UI. Drop it in your local server and it works.
Atomic Swaps: Uses POSIX rename() for atomic file swapping. I stress-tested it with 100 concurrent read/write/restore operations and had exactly 0 lock or corruption errors.
Highly Efficient: It copies a 190MB binary BLOB database in 136ms using < 2MB of PHP peak memory (it utilizes stream-level kernel pipe buffers instead of loading into memory).
Chaos Tested: Handled a rapid insertion loop of 500 writes (0.1s sleep) flawlessly, purging old unpinned snapshots while keeping the limit strict.
Transparency Note: I utilized AI tools as a coding assistant to accelerate the development, personally reviewing, testing, and designing the overall architecture.
I designed it to run in the background (like a daemon) while you code, providing a safety net for your local DB.
It's completely open-source and free. I'd love to hear your thoughts, feedback, or any edge cases you think I should test!
GitHub Repo: https://github.com/nsrht/time-travel-sqlite-debugger
I am always open to new ideas, feature requests, and suggestions!
Cheers! ✌️