I'm trying to decide if using an Object-Relational Mapping (ORM) tool makes sense for my project. For those who don't use ORMs, what are your main reasons against them? Is it performance issues, loss of control, complexity, or perhaps bad past experiences? Conversely, for those who do use ORMs, what essential features do you look for? Things like performance, maturity, how transparent the generated queries are, ease of migrations, type safety, and flexibility for raw SQL are all crucial to me. I'm especially curious how your decision might vary based on factors like project size, team size, or the domain of the project. Any insights would be appreciated!
3 Answers
When I need to roll out applications quickly with lots of CRUD operations, I tend to use an ORM. Having solid migrations, type safety, and consistent team workflows are huge benefits. On the flip side, if I'm working on an app that demands complex SQL, like analytics, I prefer raw SQL or a query builder to maintain full control without dealing with ORM quirks. Overall, I prioritize an ORM that offers reliable migrations, raw SQL capabilities, and good relation management to avoid performance issues like N+1.
For me, I need an ORM that has a user-friendly syntax and performs well enough to justify its use. But I've noticed that many ORMs often run slower than raw SQL. Which ones have you tried and would suggest? Is it wise to use an ORM for a small-to-mid sized project?
That's a good question! I think it depends on your project's needs. For smaller projects, I tend to stick with raw SQL to keep things simple.
In my view, the real value of an ORM lies in managing business logic and domain models effectively. They add value by handling validation rules and more on the write path. However, if they're just used to generate SQL queries, then they might not be worth it. I work with an ORM called Joist, which aims to make enterprise applications more maintainable. While hand-crafted SQL can outperform ORM-generated queries in simple cases, Joist tries to minimize overhead with caching and other techniques to keep performance in check, especially with complex operations.
That sounds interesting! Have you seen good adoption for it? Is it open sourced?
Thanks for the detailed insight! What ORM do you personally recommend?