ORM, 20 years later by Gavin King

Explore the complexities of Object-Relational Mapping (ORM) with expert Gavin King, discussing benefits, limitations, and trade-offs of lazy vs eager loading, handwritten SQL vs ORM code, and more.

Key takeaways

There is no one-size-fits-all solution for ORM (Object-Relational Mapping) and it depends on individual needs.
The choice between lazy and eager loading depends on the application’s requirements and performance constraints.
The speaker argues that ORM solutions are relatively complex libraries and can be difficult to debug and understand.
Handwritten SQL code can be more efficient and easier to debug than ORM code, but it requires more expertise.
Hibernate’s query language is a lowest common denominator abstraction of SQL and is not as powerful as modern SQL.
There are cases where using an ORM can be beneficial, such as when working with complex data models and associations.
Hibernate Reactive is a non-blocking implementation of Hibernate that is designed to work with reactive streams and can offer better performance in certain scenarios.
The speaker believes that Quarkus is an interesting project that can offer a reactive stack from top to bottom.
The choice between using an ORM or handwritten SQL code depends on the individual’s expertise and the requirements of the application.
Lazy fetching can be a good option in certain scenarios, but it can also lead to unexpected performance issues.
The speaker argues that it is important to evaluate the trade-offs and make informed decisions about which approach to use.
There is no single “right” answer for ORM and it depends on individual circumstances.
The speaker believes that it is important to be honest with oneself about one’s own limitations and the limitations of the tools being used.
The choice between lazy and eager loading depends on the application’s requirements and performance constraints.
Handwritten SQL code can be more efficient and easier to debug than ORM code, but it requires more expertise.
There are cases where using an ORM can be beneficial, such as when working with complex data models and associations.
Hibernate Reactive is a non-blocking implementation of Hibernate that is designed to work with reactive streams and can offer better performance in certain scenarios.

ORM, 20 years later by Gavin King

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