Import and Export

Import entities from a wide range of external formats including SQL DDL (multiple dialects), draw.io, GraphML, Mermaid, PlantUML, and OpenAPI. Export to numerous formats including GraphQL SDL, TypeScript, Prisma, Protobuf, Avro, and JSON Schema. Start from what you have and generate what you need.

March 5, 2026

No architecture starts from scratch. Every organisation has existing schemas, DDL scripts, diagram files, and API definitions that represent years of accumulated knowledge. The model-first approach works only if it can absorb what already exists and produce what downstream tools need.

NeoArc supports importing entities from a wide range of formats and exporting to numerous output formats. Import reads existing definitions and creates model entities with properties, types, key roles, and relationships. Export generates output in the target format, applying the active database profile's naming conventions and type mappings. Both operations support group filtering to work with specific subdomains of a large model.

Import Formats

Export Formats

Group Filtering

Both import and export support group filtering. When importing, entities can be assigned to a group during the import process. When exporting, you can filter by one or more groups to export only the entities in a specific subdomain. This is essential for large models where exporting the entire model would produce unwieldy output, or where different subdomains target different database vendors.

Common Workflows

Brownfield Adoption

Import existing SQL DDL or OpenAPI specs to bootstrap the model from your current systems. Review and enrich the imported entities with governance metadata, projections, and relationships. The model becomes the canonical source going forward.

Schema Generation

Define entities in the model, then export to TypeScript interfaces for backend development, GraphQL SDL for API teams, Prisma schemas for ORM configuration, and SQL DDL for database provisioning. All outputs are consistent because they derive from the same model.

Database Migration

Import from the source database DDL, assign a new database profile for the target vendor, and export DDL for the target. The abstract type system handles type conversion automatically, and fidelity loss detection warns about incompatibilities.

Tool Integration

Export to Mermaid or PlantUML for embedding diagrams in markdown documentation. Export to GraphML for analysis in graph tools like yEd. Export to DBML for visual editing in dbdiagram.io. The model integrates with your existing tool ecosystem.