Sojorn Database Architecture & Context

Last Updated: January 27, 2026

Overview

The Sojorn backend uses a PostgreSQL database hosted on a VPS. It is critical to note that there are multiple databases present in the Postgres instance, and the application serves from a specific one.

Connection Details

Host: localhost (Internal to VPS)
Port: 5432
Primary Database Name: sojorn
User: postgres
SSL Mode: disable
Application Config Source: /opt/sojorn/.env (on VPS)

Warning: Do not assume the database is named postgres. Always target the sojorn database for application schema changes.

Critical Key Tables & Schema Notes

1. Profiles (`public.profiles`)

Stores user identity and global configuration.

Column	Type	Notes
`id`	UUID	Primary Key
`handle`	Text	Unique user handle (username)
`is_private`	Boolean	Crucial: Controls visibility in global feeds. Defaults to `FALSE`.
`is_official`	Boolean	Crucial: Verification badge / official account status.
`identity_key`	Text	For E2EE (Signal Protocol)

2. Follows (`public.follows`)

Manages the social graph.

Column	Type	Notes
`follower_id`	UUID	User DOING the following
`following_id`	UUID	User BEING followed
`status`	Text	Crucial: Must be `'accepted'` or `'pending'`. Logic joins on `status='accepted'`.

3. Posts (`public.posts`)

Column	Type	Notes
`duration_ms`	Int	Nullable. Can be NULL for non-video posts. Queries MUST use `COALESCE(duration_ms, 0)`.
`is_beacon`	Boolean	Determines if post is location-aware.
`location`	Geography	Post coordinates (PostGIS).

Troubleshooting & Maintenance

Accessing the Database (CLI)

To manually inspect or patch the database, use the following command pattern on the VPS:

# Connect specifically to the 'sojorn' database
export PGPASSWORD='YOUR_PASSWORD'
psql -U postgres -h localhost -d sojorn

Common Pitfalls

Patching postgres instead of sojorn: Running psql without -d sojorn defaults to the postgres system DB. Schema changes here WON'T affect the app.
Null Scanning: Go's database/sql driver will panic or error if you try to Scan a SQL NULL into a non-pointer primitive (e.g., int vs *int or NullInt). Always use COALESCE in SQL queries for nullable optional fields like duration_ms, image_url.
Scan Mismatches: If you add a column to a SELECT query, you MUST add a corresponding destination variable in rows.Scan().

Migration Strategy

The project currently relies on imperative SQL patches or golang-migrate scripts.
Ensure any migration scripts target the DATABASE_URL defined in .env.

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