ORM (Object-Relational Mapping)
ORM (Object-Relational Mapping) is a programming technique that relates objects used in object-oriented programming languages to tables in relational databases. ORM facilitates developers to work with databases through objects and classes instead of SQL code. It makes database operations easier, faster, and safer.
How ORM works:
Through ORM, the tables in the database are represented through classes, and the records in the table are modeled as objects. Developers can add, read, update, and delete database information through objects, thereby not requiring the use of direct SQL code. ORM generally makes **CRUD** (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations simple and efficient.
Core components of ORM:
1. Classes and Tables: In ORM, each class represents a table in the database, and the attributes of the class correspond to the columns in the table.
2. Objects and Records: Records in the database are replaced as class objects. So, you don’t have to use SQL statements to store information in the database, rather you can do it directly through the class.
3. Relationship: ORM helps to easily manage relationships between databases such as One-to-Many, Many-to-One, and Many-to-Many.
4. SQL Abstraction: ORM automatically generates SQL queries, which are used to communicate with the database. As a result, developers do not need to know details about SQL code.
Advantages of ORM:
1. Ease of Code: Instead of using SQL code directly in ORM, you can work in the database through objects, making the code much easier and clearer.
2. Database neutrality: ORM tools are generally capable of working with different types of database systems.
Protection from 3. SQL injection: Working with databases through ORM coding provides protection from SQL injection attacks.
4. Easy Testing: Testing is very easy in ORM coding, as you work through objects without having to interact directly with the database.
Some popular libraries of ORM:
1. 𝗛𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 (𝗝𝗮𝘃𝗮)
2. 𝗗𝗷𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗼 𝗢𝗥𝗠 (𝗣𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗻)
3. 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 (𝗖#)
4. 𝗦𝗤𝗟𝗔𝗹𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗺𝘆 (𝗣𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗻)
5. Eloquent orm(laravel)
Limitations of ORM:
1. Performance: In some situations, such as when there are many large databases or complex queries, the ORM system may be slower than SQL code.
2. Teach-Curve: Starting to use ORM may require some learning, especially if you’ve used direct SQL code before.
Conclusion:
ORM is a very powerful tool that makes the process of working with databases much easier, faster, and safer. It simplifies database manipulation for developers and enhances the maintainability and reading of code. Using ORM, developers can perform CRUD operations on databases through objects without having to work directly with SQL code, thereby making software development more efficient and time-saving.
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