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What is Tortoise ORM?

Published in Database Technology 2 mins read

Tortoise ORM is a powerful and modern object-relational mapper (ORM) for Python, built for asyncio and databases. It provides an elegant and efficient way to interact with databases using Python objects instead of writing raw SQL queries.

Key Features of Tortoise ORM:

  • Asynchronous: Tortoise ORM is designed for asynchronous programming with asyncio, making it ideal for modern web applications and other scenarios where performance and concurrency are crucial.
  • Database Support: Supports multiple database systems, including PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, and more.
  • Model Definitions: Define database models using Python classes, allowing for clear and concise data representation.
  • Data Relationships: Define relationships between models, such as one-to-one, one-to-many, and many-to-many, for managing complex data structures.
  • Migrations: Automatically generate and manage database schema changes, simplifying database updates.
  • Querying: Provides a fluent and intuitive interface for querying data using Python expressions.
  • Data Validation: Enforce data integrity with built-in validation features.

Example:

from tortoise import fields, models

class Author(models.Model):
    name = fields.CharField(max_length=255)
    email = fields.CharField(max_length=255, unique=True)

class Book(models.Model):
    title = fields.CharField(max_length=255)
    author = fields.ForeignKeyField('models.Author', related_name='books')
    publication_date = fields.DateField()

This example demonstrates how to define two database models, Author and Book, with a foreign key relationship between them.

Advantages of using Tortoise ORM:

  • Simplified Database Interactions: Reduces the amount of SQL code you need to write, making your code cleaner and easier to maintain.
  • Improved Code Readability: ORM allows you to express database operations in a more Pythonic way, making your code more readable and understandable.
  • Data Consistency: Helps maintain data integrity by enforcing data constraints and relationships.
  • Enhanced Productivity: ORM simplifies common database operations, allowing developers to focus on application logic.

Tortoise ORM offers a robust and efficient way to interact with databases in your Python applications. Its asynchronous nature, comprehensive features, and ease of use make it a valuable tool for modern development.

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