Query Builder (Laravels Query Builder) Vs ORM (Eloquent ORM in Laravel) || DN-SPACE

Laravel

Query Builder (Laravels Query Builder) Vs ORM (Eloquent ORM in Laravel)

In Laravel, a popular PHP web application development framework, you have both a Query Builder API and an ORM (Object-Relational Mapping) system at your disposal. Here are some doubts or questions you might have about the differences between the two in the context of Laravel:

Query Builder (Laravel's Query Builder):

Building SQL Queries: With Laravel's Query Builder, you can build SQL queries using PHP code. It uses a fluent interface to make query building more readable.
Flexible Query Generation: You can generate complex queries using Query Builder, and it provides separate methods for different query components (e.g., SELECT, WHERE, JOIN).
Data Manipulation: Query Builder allows you to select, insert, update, delete, and manipulate database data.
Custom SQL Queries: If you need to write custom SQL queries, you can still use plain SQL alongside Query Builder.
Readability and Security: Query Builder code generally reduces the risk of SQL injection attacks because it safely escapes query parameters.

Example (Laravel Query Builder):

$users = DB::table('users') ->select('name', 'email') ->where('age', '>', 18) ->get();

ORM (Eloquent ORM in Laravel):

Data Mapping: Eloquent ORM lets you represent database table data as PHP objects. You define models that map to database tables.
Data Retrieval: With Eloquent ORM, you can retrieve data from the database, perform CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations, and maintain relationships between data (e.g., hasMany, belongsTo).
Hidden SQL Queries: Eloquent ORM abstracts away SQL queries, and you typically don't write SQL queries in ORM code. Instead, you work with data objects.
Model Relationships: Eloquent ORM allows you to define and work with relationships between different database tables, making it easier to work with related data.

Example (Laravel Eloquent ORM):

class User extends Model { 

protected $table = 'users'; 

} 

$users = User::where('age', '>', 18)->get();

Difference:

Query Builder's main purpose is to generate SQL queries, while ORM's main purpose is to represent data as objects.
In Query Builder, you write SQL queries, whereas in ORM, you don't write queries but work with data objects.
Query Builder excels in query building and readability, while ORM excels in data manipulation and data modeling.

In Laravel, you can use both Query Builder and Eloquent ORM based on your specific use cases. If you need to build complex queries, Query Builder is a good choice. If you want to work with data modeling and maintain relationships, Eloquent ORM is a valuable tool.