What is SQLess

SQLess is an code generator that enables coding with relational database in an object-oriented way. Just define an database schema (a JSON format file), the generator will generate all the code you need.

For the generated code, every connection, database, table and even column is represented by a distinct object, and you can use this object to do CRUD operations and more.

SQLess is not a database wrapper like sqlapi, which still needs you to write SQL statement and do parameter binding.etc.

SQLess is also not an Object-Relational Mapping (ORM) system like ODB, which tightly binds to the language used and have obscure usage.

If you have ever used Protobuf, you will find them quiet similer. In fact, SQLess is inspired from Protobuf.

Compare

Ordinary method drawbacks

• Difficult and time consuming. Writing database conversion code for any non-trivial application requires extensive knowledge of the specific database system and its APIs.
• Easy to make mistake. It is easy to misspell column names or pass incompatible values in SQL queries. It is also easy to construct a SQL statement that has syntax error, even worse if using printf series function. Forgetting escaping special charactar is another common thing.
• The above errors can only be detected at runtime, resulting in a long debug circle.
• Database vendor lock-in. The conversion code is written for a specific database which makes it hard to switch to another database vendor.
• Complicates the application. The database conversion code often ends up interspersed throughout the application making it hard to debug, change, and maintain.

What if using SQLess?

• Ease of use. The interface for a language is the same and you don't need to known the used database deeply. The interface is also very simple.
• Concise code. With SQLess generated codes hiding the details of the underlying database, the application logic is written using the natural object vocabulary instead of tables, columns and SQL. The resulting code is simpler and thus easier to read and understand.
• High-efficiency. If your editor support auto-completiton, you can write code unbeliable faster!
• Database portability. Because the database conversion code is automatically generated, it is easy to switch from one database vendor to another.
• Safety. You use C++ identifiers instead of strings to refer to object members and the generated code makes sure database and C++ types are compatible. All this helps catch programming errors at compile-time rather than at runtime.

Support

Because the database schema is defined in a language unrelated style, SQLess can support any object-oriented language in theory. The backend database is also not restricted. But due to my restricted time and energy...

Currently only C++ language and SQLite database is supported, but MySQL database support is coming soon.

How to use

• Step1: Write a database schema like Pictures.json
• Step2: Generating code: src/sqless.py SCHEMA_FILE_PATH. The generated filename is something like schema.sqless.h, schema.sqless.cc
• Step3: Use the generating file in your project directly, no other dependence required.

SQLess is written with python 2.7.x, python 3.x is not tested.

Schema file format

Firstly, take a look at Pictures.json, that is more explicable than the details below.

The generated C++ code using sqlite is something like Pictures.sqless.h and Pictures.sqless.cc

Details:

Supported keys in outest map:

name	type	optional	description
namespace	string	optional	put the generated code in a namespace (C++ only)
databases	list	mandatory	describes all used databases, each element is a map that describes the database.

Supported keys in database map:

name	type	optional	description
name	string	mandatory	the name of the database
desc	string	mandatory	the description of the database
tables	list	mandatory	the tables inside the database, each element is a map that describes the view.
views	list	mandatory	the views inside the database, each element is a map that describes the view.

Supported keys in table map:

name	type	optional	description
name	string	mandatory	the name of the table
desc	string	mandatory	the description of the table
type	string	optional	the type of the table. e.g. fts3 for sqlite, InnoDB or MyISAM for MySQL.
columns	list	mandatory	the columns of the table, each element is a map that describes that column.

Supported keys in table-column map:

name	type	optional	description
name	string	mandatory	the name of the column
desc	string	mandatory	the description of the column
type	string	mandatory	one of "INT", "BIGINT", "REAL", "TEXT" or "BLOB", case insensitive.
default	*	optional	default value of this column. Used in the create table statement.
index	bool	optional	create index on this column, default to false.
primary_key	bool	optional	treat this column as primary key, default to false.
auto_increment	bool	optional	whether the column value is auto increment, default to false.
not_null	bool	optional	whether the column value must be specified when insert, default to false.

Supported keys in view map:

name	type	optional	description
name	string	mandatory	the name of the view
desc	string	mandatory	the description of the view
columns	list	mandatory	the columns of the view, each element is a map that describes that column.

Supported keys in view-column map:

name	type	optional	description
table	string	mandatory	the original table name where this column come from, the table must exists in the same database scope.
column	string	mandatory	the original column name in the origin table, the column must exists.
name	string	optional	the alias name for the origin table column, default to TABLE_COLUMN is not specified.

Coding exmaple using C++

Open an database connection:

SQLessConn conn;
if (!conn.connect("pictures.db")) {
    //handle failure
}

Insert into a table:

SQLessTable_tb::InsertParam param;
param.set_id(id).
    set_path(path).
    set_md5(md5).
    set_data(content).
    set_type(path).
    set_size(size);

int64_t id;
if (!conn.database_db()->table_tb()->insert(param, &id)) {
    //handle failure
}

Select from a table:

SQLessTable_tb::SelectParam select;
SQLessTable_tb::SelectResult r;

if (!conn.database_db()->table_tb()->select(select.add_all(), &r)) {
    //handle failure
}

int id;
int64_t size;
std::string path, type, md5, content;
while (r.getRow()) {
    id = r.id();
    size = r.size();
    path = r.path();
    type = r.type();
    md5 = r.md5();
    content = r.data();

    //...
}

Delete from table:

int affected_rows;
conn.database_db()->table_tb()->remove("where id=1", &affected_rows);