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.

  • JWBananas@startrek.website
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    1 year ago
      p.*
    FROM
      Products p
    WHERE
      p.Price < 50
    GROUP BY
      p.Category_Id```
    
    Meanwhile the ORM is probably generating something stupid and unnecessarily slow like this:
    
    ```SELECT
      p.*, c.*
    FROM
      Products p
    JOIN
      Category c
      USING (Category_Id)
    WHERE
      p.Price < 50
    GROUP BY
      c.Category_Id```
    
    Now stop using goddamn capital letters in your table and field names. And get off my lawn!