Install your tools

Your new starter comes with a database and a migration system, but two tools need to be on your machine before you can use them.

Install Atlas

Atlas takes the table definitions you write in code and creates the actual tables in your database. Without it, the database is empty and your app has nowhere to store data.

You already have mise from Chapter 2 — it can install Atlas too:

mise use -g atlas

Verify it's installed:

atlas version

You should see a version number like v1.x.x. If it asks you to log in, skip it — Atlas is free and open source, no account needed.

Browse your database

You'll want to see what's inside your database as you build. Drizzle Studio is a visual browser that comes with your starter — no install needed.

Open a second terminal — your first one is running pnpm dev. Click the + button in VS Code's terminal panel to open a new one, then run:

pnpm drizzle-kit studio

It opens a web UI at local.drizzle.studio where you can browse tables, view rows, and edit data. It's empty right now — you'll use it in the next step to verify your tables were created.

That's it — Atlas is installed and Drizzle Studio is ready. Time to set up your database.