Can someone provide a brief explanation of ORM, how it functions, and how I should get started with it?

General Discussions
1

What is an ORM, how does it work, and how should I use one?

Someone recommended using an ORM for my project, but I’m not entirely sure what it is or how it works. Can someone provide a brief explanation of ORM, how it functions, and how I should get started with it?

2

At its core, an ORM is a tool that bridges object-oriented programming and relational databases. Instead of manually writing SQL queries to interact with a database, an ORM allows you to work with database records using programming language objects.

For example, in Python with SQLAlchemy:

class User(Base):
    __tablename__ = 'users'
    id = Column(Integer, primary_key=True)
    name = Column(String)

:point_right: This maps the users table to a User class, letting you interact with it like a regular Python object.

3

An ORM works by:

  1. Mapping database tables to classes – Tables become objects, columns become attributes.
  2. Translating code into SQL queries – ORM automatically generates SQL commands like SELECT, INSERT, or UPDATE.
  3. Managing relationships – ORM simplifies working with foreign keys and joins. For example, in Django ORM:

user = User.objects.get(id=1) # Translates to SELECT * FROM users WHERE id=1; user.name = “New Name”
user.save() # Generates an UPDATE query

:point_right: This eliminates the need to write SQL manually while keeping the power of relational databases.

4

To get started, please follow these steps:

  1. Choose an ORM – Popular choices include SQLAlchemy (Python), Hibernate (Java), and Entity Framework (C#).
  2. Define Models – Create classes representing database tables.
  3. Perform CRUD Operations – Use ORM methods to add, retrieve, update, and delete records.
  4. Leverage ORM Benefits – Prevent SQL injection, increase productivity, and support multiple databases. For example, in Hibernate (Java): User user = session.get(User.class, 1); // Fetches user with ID 1 user.setName(“Updated Name”); session.update(user); // Saves the changes

:point_right: This abstracts SQL complexity and improves maintainability.