Connection command

Add a new database connection to your Feathers application

The feathers generate connection command adds a new database connection to your application. This command is used to set up additional database connections beyond the initial one configured during app generation.

Usage

feathers generate connection

Alias: feathers g connection

Interactive Prompts

When you run this command, you’ll be prompted for:

Database Type

database · string · required

The type of database to connect to

Choices:

• sqlite - SQLite (file-based, no server required)
• mongodb - MongoDB
• postgresql - PostgreSQL
• mysql - MySQL/MariaDB
• mssql - Microsoft SQL Server
• other - Other database via custom connection

Connection String

connectionString · string · required

The connection string for the database

Default values by database type:

• MongoDB: mongodb://127.0.0.1:27017/{name}
• PostgreSQL: postgres://postgres:@localhost:5432/{name}
• MySQL: mysql://root:@localhost:3306/{name}
• SQLite: {name}.sqlite
• MSSQL: mssql://root:password@localhost:1433/{name}

Connection Name

name · string

Optional name for the connection (used in configuration)

If not provided, defaults to the database type (e.g., “mongodb”, “postgres”)

What Gets Generated

Running this command will:

1. Install database adapter

   Installs the appropriate Feathers database adapter package:

   • @feathersjs/knex for SQL databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, MSSQL)
   • @feathersjs/mongodb for MongoDB
2. Install database driver

   Installs the database-specific driver:

   • pg for PostgreSQL
   • mysql2 for MySQL
   • better-sqlite3 for SQLite
   • tedious for MSSQL
   • mongodb for MongoDB
3. Update configuration

   Adds the connection string to your configuration files:

   • config/default.json - Default configuration
   • config/production.json - Production overrides
4. Create database client

   Creates a new client file at src/{name}.ts that initializes the database connection

5. Register in application

   Updates src/app.ts to configure and use the database connection

Example: Adding PostgreSQL

$ feathers generate connection
? Which database are you connecting to? PostgreSQL
? Enter the database connection string: postgres://user:pass@localhost:5432/mydb
? Enter a name for this connection: (postgres) 

Generated files:

src/postgres.ts

import knex from 'knex'
import type { Application } from './declarations'

export const postgres = (app: Application) => {
  const db = knex({
    client: 'pg',
    connection: app.get('postgres')
  })

  app.set('postgresClient', db)
}

Updated configuration:

config/default.json

{
  "postgres": "postgres://user:pass@localhost:5432/mydb"
}

Multiple Connections

You can run this command multiple times to add connections to different databases. Each connection will have its own configuration key and client file.

// Using different connections
const pgClient = app.get('postgresClient')
const mongoClient = app.get('mongodbClient')

Environment Variables

Connection strings can use environment variables in production:

config/production.json

{
  "postgres": "postgres://$POSTGRES_USER:$POSTGRES_PASSWORD@$POSTGRES_HOST:5432/$POSTGRES_DATABASE"
}

Never commit actual credentials to your repository. Use environment variables for sensitive connection information.

Next Steps

Generate a Service

Create a service that uses this database connection

Database Configuration

Learn more about database configuration options