Choosing the Right ORM for Your NestJS Application
NestJS is a popular Node.js server-side framework that supports a wide range of databases and libraries, including Object-Relational Mapping (ORM) libraries. ORMs simplify database interactions by abstracting away the underlying database complexity. In this article, we’ll explore four popular ORMs for NestJS: Sequelize, TypeORM, MikroORM, and Prisma.
Sequelize
Sequelize is a mature ORM that supports multiple databases, including PostgreSQL, MySQL, and SQLite. It’s easy to use and provides a rich set of features, including transaction support and model validations. However, it only supports the Active Record pattern and lacks NoSQL support.
Example Usage
“`typescript
import { Sequelize } from ‘sequelize’;
const sequelize = new Sequelize(‘database’, ‘username’, ‘password’, {
host: ‘localhost’,
dialect: ‘mysql’,
});
const User = sequelize.define(‘User’, {
name: {
type: Sequelize.STRING,
},
email: {
type: Sequelize.STRING,
unique: true,
},
});
“`
TypeORM
TypeORM is another mature ORM that supports multiple databases, including PostgreSQL, MySQL, and MongoDB. It provides a rich set of features, including entity manager, connection pooling, and query caching. TypeORM supports both Active Record and Data Mapper patterns.
Example Usage
“`typescript
import { Entity, Column, PrimaryGeneratedColumn } from ‘typeorm’;
@Entity()
export class User {
@PrimaryGeneratedColumn()
id: number;
@Column()
name: string;
@Column()
email: string;
}
“`
MikroORM
MikroORM is a TypeScript-based ORM that supports multiple databases, including PostgreSQL, MySQL, and SQLite. It provides a rich set of features, including transaction support and query builder. MikroORM supports the Data Mapper pattern.
Example Usage
“`typescript
import { Entity, PrimaryKey, Property } from ‘@mikro-orm/core’;
@Entity()
export class User {
@PrimaryKey()
id: number;
@Property()
name: string;
@Property()
email: string;
}
“`
Prisma
Prisma is a modern ORM that supports multiple databases, including PostgreSQL, MySQL, and SQLite. It provides a unique schema definition language and generates strongly typed code. Prisma supports incremental adoption and provides good tooling.
Example Usage
typescript
model User {
id Int @id @default(cuid())
name String
email String @unique
}
Comparison
| ORM | Database Support | Pattern Support | Complexity |
| — | — | — | — |
| Sequelize | Multiple | Active Record | Low |
| TypeORM | Multiple | Active Record, Data Mapper | Medium |
| MikroORM | Multiple | Data Mapper | Medium |
| Prisma | Multiple | Unique Schema Definition | High |
Conclusion
Choosing the right ORM for your NestJS application depends on your specific needs and preferences. Sequelize and TypeORM are mature ORMs with wide database support, while MikroORM provides a strong TypeScript-based solution. Prisma offers a modern and innovative approach to ORM. Consider factors such as database support, pattern support, and complexity when making your decision.