Sqlalchemy Orm Patterns

Overview

Use this skill to design SQLAlchemy usage that remains correct, efficient, and maintainable under production load.

Scope Boundaries

• Use this skill when the task matches the trigger condition described in description.
• Do not use this skill when the primary task falls outside this skill's domain.

Shared References

• ORM loading and session rules:
  • references/orm-loading-and-session-rules.md

Templates And Assets

• ORM modeling template:
  • assets/sqlalchemy-modeling-template.py
• Session/transaction checklist:
  • assets/sqlalchemy-session-transaction-checklist.md

Inputs To Gather

• Domain model and relationship constraints.
• Transaction consistency requirements.
• Query access patterns and performance constraints.
• Session lifecycle boundaries.

Deliverables

• ORM model and relationship design.
• Session and transaction boundary policy.
• Query loading strategy with hotspot validation.

Workflow

1. Draft model structure using assets/sqlalchemy-modeling-template.py.
2. Define session/transaction boundaries.
3. Apply loading strategy rules from references/orm-loading-and-session-rules.md.
4. Validate SQL behavior for hot queries.
5. Finalize with assets/sqlalchemy-session-transaction-checklist.md.

Quality Standard

• Session ownership is explicit and leak-free.
• Transaction boundaries preserve business atomicity.
• Query strategy avoids N+1/overfetch patterns.
• ORM abstractions remain transparent for critical SQL paths.

Failure Conditions

• Stop when session ownership is ambiguous across layers.
• Stop when ORM hides critical SQL behavior on hot paths.
• Escalate when transaction guarantees cannot be met safely.