For our Scala web applications this is pretty much a solved problem, since Play Framework keeps track of database versions in an 'evolutions' table, and runs evolutions in order to bring the database up-to-date. We've also modelled our test snapshots runner after the evolutions format - so each test fixture contains queries for both set up and teardown, on top of the empty vanilla database described the evolutions, of course.

The trouble we encounter is extending outside software to meet our needs, specifically Wordpress. WordPress is a better-than-average CMS but like many CMSes it is very developer-unfriendly. I need to be able to snapshot the database from a single WordPress installation and version it along with an installation of the several WordPress Plug-Ins I am developing for a specific client. This way I can keep a repository reflecting the current state of a single site (with a specific set of plug-ins activated, and specific configurations for each), an exact copy of which I want to eventually deploy in a production environment. I've seen plug-ins for this, but for at least in one specific case (VersionPress) it seems like it is only available through an overly expensive 'Early Access Program' - and it's been in Early Access for many months now, making it seem Vaporware-ish. Anyone know of a better, automated solution, other than dumping the MySQL database every time I make a change?