What if you could insert a Python dictionary into the database? DictORM allows you to select/insert/update rows of a database as if they were Python Dictionaries.


Keywords
psycopg2, dictionary, python, dict, database, postgresql, postgresql-orm, python-dictionary, python-orm, sqlite, sqlite-orm
License
Apache-2.0
Install
pip install dictorm==4.2

Documentation

DictORM

Codacy Badge Build Status Coverage Status PyPi Version PyPI Project Status

Manipulate Postgresql/Sqlite using Python Dictionaries

What if you could insert a Python dictionary into the database? DictORM allows you to select/insert/update/delete rows of a database as if they were Python Dictionaries.

Installation

Install dictorm using pip, with the default sqlite backend:

pip install dictorm

Install with the Postgres backend:

pip install dictorm[Postgresql]

Quick & Simple Example!

# Create a dictionary that contains all tables in the database
>>> from dictorm import DictDB
>>> db = DictDB(db_conn)
# Get the Table object that was automatically found by DictDB
>>> Person = db['person']

# Define Will's initial column values
>>> will = Person(name='Will')
>>> will
{'name':'Will',}

# Insert Will
>>> will.flush()
>>> will
{'name':'Will', 'id':1}

# Change Will however you want
>>> will['name'] = 'Steve'
>>> will
{'name':'Steve', 'id':1}
# Send the changes to the database, all columns will be overwritten to what this
# "dictionary" now contains.
>>> will.flush()

# DictORM will NEVER commit or rollback changes, that is up to you.
# Make sure to commit your changes:
db_conn.commit()

References will be represented as a sub-dictionary

# Define a relationship to another table, access that one-to-one relationship
# as if it were a sub-dictionary.
>>> Car = db['car']
>>> Person['car'] = Person['car_id'] == Car['id']
# 'car'            : the key of the sub-dictionary you are defining
# Person['car_id'] : the column of the "person" table that references car.id
# Car['id']        : the foreign key of the "car" table, referenced by person.car_id

# When defining a reference, it is important to order the columns correctly, the
# foreign-key/foreign-table should be on the right:
# Person['car'] = Person['car_id'] == Car['id']            # Correct
# Person['car'] = Car['id'] == Person['car_id']            # Incorrect
# Person['manager'] = Person['manager_id'] == Person['id'] # Correct
# Person['manager'] = Person['id'] == Person['manager_id'] # Incorrect

>>> wills_car = Car(name='Dodge Stratus', plate='123ABC')
>>> wills_car.flush()
>>> wills_car
{'id':1, 'name':'Dodge Stratus', 'plate':'123ABC'}

>>> will['car_id'] = wills_car['id']
# Update the database row by updating the "will" object with his new car. Flush.
>>> will.flush()
>>> will
{'name':'Will', 'id':1, 'car_id':1, 'car':{'id':1, 'name':'Dodge Stratus', 'plate':'123ABC'}}
>>> will['car'] == wills_car
True

# I did not show 'car_id' in the first Will examples, this was to avoid
# confusion.  You must define 'car_id' in the database before it can be
# accessed by DictORM.

Detailed Basic Usage

Create your tables with at least one primary key:

CREATE TABLE person (
    id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
    name TEXT,
    car_id INTEGER REFERENCES car(id),
    manager_id INTEGER REFERENCES person(id)
);
CREATE TABLE car (
    id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
    license TEXT
);

Connect to the database using psycopg2

>>> import psycopg2
>>> conn = psycopg2.connect(**db_login)

or Sqlite3

>>> import sqlite3
>>> conn = sqlite3.connect(':memory:')

Finally, use DictORM:

# DictDB queries the database for all tables and allows them to be gotten as
# if DictDB was a dictionary.
>>> db = DictDB(conn)

# Get a Table object for table 'person'
# person table built using: (id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY, name TEXT)
>>> Person = db['person']

# DictORM relies on primary keys to successfully Update a row in the 'person'
# table.  The primary keys found are listed when the Person object is printed.
>>> Person
Table(dave, ['id',])

# You can define your own primary keys
Person.pks = ['id',]

# Insert into "person" table by calling "Person" object as if it were a
# dictionary.
>>> dave = Person(name='Dave').flush()
>>> dave
{'name':'Dave', 'id':1}

# dave behaves just like a dictionary
>>> dave['name']
Dave
>>> dave['id']
1

# Change any value
>>> dave['name'] = 'Bob'
# Send the changes to the database
>>> dave.flush()
# Commit any changes is up to you.
>>> conn.commit()

Get a row from the database as a Dict

# Get a row from the database, you may specify which columns must contain what
# value.
>>> bob = Person.get_one(id=1)
# Or, if the table has primary key(s), you may forgo specifying a column name.
# PyPyTable.get_one will pair the arguments you provide with the primary keys in
# their respective orders:
>>> bob = Person.get_one(1)
>>> bob
{'name':'Bob', 'id':1}
# Get all rows in a table.
>>> list(Person.get_where())
[{'name':'Bob', 'id':1},]
# get_where returns a ResultsGenerator, which behaves just like a python
# generator.  It will not retreive a result from the database until you request
# it.
>>> Person.get_where()
ResultsGenerator()
>>> for person in Person.get_where():
>>>     person
{'name':'Bob', 'id':1}

DictORM's Features

Update a Dict without overwriting Primary Keys

# A Dict behaves like a Python dictionary and can be updated/set.  Update bob
# dict with steve dict, but don't overwrite bob's primary keys.
>>> steve = Person(name='Steve').flush()
>>> steve
{'name':'Steve', 'id':2}
>>> steve.remove_pks()
{'name':'Steve'}
>>> bob.update(steve.remove_pks())
>>> bob.flush()
# Bob is a copy of steve, except for bob's primary key
>>> bob
{'name':'Steve', 'id':1}

Set a one-to-one reference to another table

# person              | car
# --------------------+-------
# car_id -----------> | id
>>> Car = db['car']
>>> Person['car'] = Person['car_id'] == Car['id']
# Give Steve a car
>>> steve = Person.get_one(1)
>>> steves_car = Car().flush()
>>> steve['car_id'] = steves_car['id']
>>> steve.flush()
>>> steve['car'] == steves_car
True

Reference a person's manager, and a manager's subordinates

# person             | person
# -------------------+-----------
# id --------------> | manager_id
>>> Person['manager'] = Person['id'] == Person['manager_id']
>>> steve = Person.get_one(1)
>>> bob = Person(name='Bob', manager_id=steve['id']).flush()
>>> aly = Person(name='Aly', manager_id=steve['id']).flush()
>>> bob['manager'] == steve
True
>>> aly['manager'] == steve
True

# Define that "subordinates" contains many rows from the Person table
>>> Person['subordinates'] = Person['id'].many(Person['manager_id'])
>>> list(steve['subordinates'])
[bob, aly]

Add in more tables

CREATE TABLE department (
    id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
    name TEXT
);
CREATE TABLE person_department (
    person_id INTEGER REFERENCES person(id),
    department_id INTEGER REFERENCES department(id),
    PRIMARY KEY (person_id, department)
);

Set a many-to-many reference to another table using an intermediary table

# person              | person_department            | department
# --------------------+------------------------------+-------------------
# id <-------+-+----- | person_id   department_id -> | id
#             \ \---- | person_id   department_id -> | id
#              \----- | person_id   department_id -> | id
>>> Department = db['department']
>>> PD = db['person_department']
>>> PD['department'] = PD['department_id'] == Department['id']
>>> PD['person'] = PD['person_id'] == Person['id']

# Reference many rows using .many:
>>> Person['person_departments'] = Person['id'].many(PD['person_id'])

# Create HR and Sales departments
>>> hr = Department(name='HR').flush()
>>> hr
{'name':'HR', 'id':1}
>>> sales = Department(name='Sales').flush()

# Add PD rows for Steve for both departments
>>> PD(person_id=steve['id'], department_id=hr['id']).flush()
>>> PD(person_id=steve['id'], department_id=sales['id']).flush()

>>> steve['person_departments']
[{'department': hr, 'department_id': 1, 'person_id': 1},
 {'department': sales, 'department_id': 2, 'person_id': 1}]

# Iterate through Steve's departments
>>> for pd in steve['person_departments']:
>>>    pd['department']
{'name':'HR', 'id':1}
{'name':'Sales', 'id':2}

# Get all persons who are in sales:
>>> PD(person_id=aly['id'], department_id=sales['id']).flush()
>>> PD(person_id=bob['id'], department_id=sales['id']).flush()
>>> for pd in PD.get_where(department_id=sales['id']):
>>>     pd['person']
steve
aly
bob

Substratum

# Having to remember to iterate through steve['person_departments'] and then
# access ['department'] is a little cumbersome, why not skip over the join-table
# (person_departments) and go straight to the referenced department?
>>> Person['departments'] = Person['person_departments'].substratum('department')
# Person['person_departments'] must be created first (it was created in the
# previous example), then you can substratum a reference on it.

>>> steve['departments']
[{'name':'HR', 'id':1},
 {'name':'Sales', 'id':2},]

# Much easier and intuitive!
>>> for dept in steve['departments']:
>>>    dept
{'name':'HR', 'id':1}
{'name':'Sales', 'id':2}

Aggregate

# aggregate is a short-hand for an aggregate substratum.
# When a substratum returns a list of lists, aggregate will return a
# single list:
# i.e. [[a,b], [c,d]]  becomes  [a,b,c,d]

# Lets promote Bob to Steve and Alice's manager
steve['manager_id'] = bob['id']
alice['manager_id'] = bob['id']
bob['manager_id'] = None

# Bob is now the manager with two subordinates
>>> bob['subordinates']
[steve, alice]

# The substratum method (remember that "subordinates" returns "many")
>>> Person['subordinates_departments'] = Person['subordinates'].substratum('deparments')
>>> bob['subrodinates_departments']
[
  [hr, sales] # First, Steve's departments
  [sales]     # Last, Alice's departments
]

# The aggregate method
>>> Person['subordinates_departments'] = Person['subordinates'].aggregate('deparments')
>>> bob['subrodinates_departments']
[hr, sales, sales]

Reuse a ResultsGenerator

# get_where and get_one return a ResultsGenerator, which does nothing until you
# attempt to get a result from it.  This means we can reuse a ResultsGenerator
# to refine the results.
>>> minions = bob['subordinates']
>>> minions
[steve, aly]

# Limit the results to only one row
>>> list(minions.limit(1))
[steve,]

# Reverse the order, limit to one row
>>> list(minions.order_by('id ASC').limit(1))
[aly,]

Check if a Dict belongs to a Table

>>> bob = Person(name='bob').flush()
>>> bob.table
Person
>>> bob in Person
True
>>> bob in Car
False

Advanced query'ing

# DictORM supports many simple expressions.  It is by no means exhaustive, but
# it supports the basic features.

# Inserting Frank for these examples
>>> frank = Person(name='Frank', manager_id=bob['id']).flush()
>>> frank
{'name':'Frank', 'id':4, 'manager_id':1, 'manager':bob}

# Search using pythonic expressions
>>> list(Person.get_where(Person['name'] == 'Steve'))
[steve,]
>>> Person.get_where(Person['id'] > 1)
[steve, aly, frank]

# Custom results ordering (reverse the previous results)
>>> Person.get_where(Person['id'] > 1).order_by('id DESC')
[frank, aly, steve]

# Limit the results
>>> Person.get_where(Person['id'] > 1).order_by('id DESC').limit(1)
[frank,]

# Offset the results
>>> Person.get_where(Person['id'] > 1).order_by('id DESC').limit(1).offset(1)
[aly,]

# Refine a subordinate search
>>> bob['subordinates'].refine(Person['name']=='Aly')
[aly,]

# Subordinate that has a car
>>> bob['subordinates'].refine(Person['car_id']>0)
[steve,]
>>> bob['subordinates'].refine(Person['car_id'].IsNot(None))
[steve,]

Pythonic Comparisons create SQL Comparisons

>>> Person['foo'] == 'bar'
"foo" = 'bar'
>>> Person['foo'] > 'bar'
"foo" > 'bar'
>>> Person['foo'] >= 'bar'
"foo" >= 'bar'
>>> Person['foo'] < 'bar'
"foo" < 'bar'
>>> Person['foo'] <= 'bar'
"foo" <= 'bar'
>>> Person['foo'] != 'bar'
"foo" <= 'bar'
>>> Person['foo'].Is('bar')
"foo" IS 'bar'
>>> Person['foo'].IsNot('bar')
"foo" IS NOT 'bar'
>>> Person['foo'].IsDistinct('bar')
"foo" IS DISTINCT FROM 'bar'
>>> Person['foo'].IsNotDistinct('bar')
"foo" IS NOT DISTINCT FROM 'bar'
>>> Person['foo'].IsNull()
"foo" IS NULL
>>> Person['foo'].IsNotNull()
"foo" IS NOT NULL
>>> Person['foo'].Like('bar')
"foo" LIKE 'bar'

# The following comparisons not supported for Sqlite3
>>> Person['foo'].In(('bar', 'baz'))
"foo" IN ('bar', 'baz')
>>> Person['foo'].Ilike('bar')
"foo" ILIKE 'bar'
>>> Person['foo'].Any(['foo', 'bar'])
"foo" = ANY ('foo', 'bar')

Operators

>>> from dictorm import And, Or

>>> And(Person['foo'] == 'bar', Person['id'] > 3)
"foo" == 'bar' AND "id" > 3

>>> Person.get_where(And(Person['foo'] == 'bar', Person['id'] > 3))
ResultsGenerator()

>>> Or(Person['foo'] == 'bar', Person['id'] > 3)
"foo" == 'bar' Or "id" > 3

# Nested
>>> And(Person['id'] > 3, Or(Person['name'] == 'Bob', Person['name'] == 'Dave',
>>>     Person['name'] == 'Alice'))
"id" > 3 AND ("name" == 'Bob' OR "name" == 'Dave' OR "name" == 'Alice')

Delete

# Delete a single row
>>> frank.delete()

Transaction

DictORM provides a minimal transaction context manager on it's db object:

>>> with db.transaction():
        bob = Person(name='Bob').flush()

Raw queries

You can execute a raw query on a Table. The resulting rows will be converted to Dict's for that table. In this example, we get all persons whose ID is 1, 2, 3 or 4. This returns a ResultsGenerator that creates Dicts from the person table.

>>> persons = Person.get_raw('SELECT * FROM person WHERE id IN (1,2,3,4)')

Testing

# Get postgres container
sudo docker run --name dictorm -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=dictorm -p 54321:5432 -d postgres:12
# Install test requirements & run:
pip install -e .[testing]
python setup.py test