this post was submitted on 08 Sep 2023
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Programming

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I wish writing SQL queries was more popular than ORMs (lemmy.ml)
submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/programming
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Some backend libraries let you write SQL queries as they are and deliver them to the database. They still handle making the connection, pooling, etc.

ORMs introduce a different API for making SQL queries, with the aim to make it easier. But I find them always subpar to SQL, and often times they miss advanced features (and sometimes not even those advanced).

It also means every time I use a ORM, I have to learn this ORM's API.

SQL is already a high level language abstracting inner workings of the database. So I find the promise of ease of use not to beat SQL. And I don't like abstracting an already high level abstraction.

Alright, I admit, there are a few advantages:

  • if I don't know SQL and don't plan on learning it, it is easier to learn a ORM
  • if I want better out of the box syntax highlighting (as SQL queries may be interpreted as pure strings)
  • if I want to use structures similar to my programming language (classes, functions, etc).

But ultimately I find these benefits far outweighed by the benefits of pure sql.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

In my experience. ORM has its limitations.

You can only depend on ORM upto a point. Beyond that you have to go use Arel (relationship algebra in Ruby), execute prepared SQL statement, trigger and functions.

I use ORM for concise, easier to read and maintainable code. e.g. joining three or more tables in SQL is cumbersum and verbose. Writing related multiple query is too time consuming, etc.

I learnt from relational algebra, SQL, ORM to vendor specific SQL.