.. _index_toplevel: ======================== SQLAlchemy Documentation ======================== Getting Started =============== A high level view and getting set up. :ref:`Overview <overview>` | :ref:`Installation Guide <installation>` | :ref:`Migration from 0.5 <migration>` SQLAlchemy ORM ============== Here, the Object Relational Mapper is introduced and fully described. If you want to work with higher-level SQL which is constructed automatically for you, as well as automated persistence of Python objects, proceed first to the tutorial. * **Read this first:** :doc:`orm/tutorial` * **ORM Configuration:** :doc:`Mapper Configuration <orm/mapper_config>` | :doc:`Relationship Configuration <orm/relationships>` | :doc:`Inheritance Mapping <orm/inheritance>` | :doc:`Advanced Collection Configuration <orm/collections>` * **Configuration Extensions:** :doc:`Declarative Extension <orm/extensions/declarative>` | :doc:`Association Proxy <orm/extensions/associationproxy>` | :doc:`Ordered List <orm/extensions/orderinglist>` * **ORM Usage:** :doc:`Session Usage and Guidelines <orm/session>` | :doc:`Query API reference <orm/query>` | :doc:`Relationship Loading Techniques <orm/loading>` * **Extending the ORM:** :doc:`ORM Event Interfaces <orm/interfaces>` * **Other:** :doc:`Introduction to Examples <orm/examples>` | :doc:`ORM Exceptions <orm/exceptions>` | :doc:`Horizontal Sharding <orm/extensions/horizontal_shard>` | :doc:`SQLSoup <orm/extensions/sqlsoup>` SQLAlchemy Core =============== The breadth of SQLAlchemy's SQL rendering engine, DBAPI integration, transaction integration, and schema description services are documented here. In contrast to the ORM's domain-centric mode of usage, the SQL Expression Language provides a schema-centric usage paradigm. * **Read this first:** :doc:`core/tutorial` * **All the Built In SQL:** :doc:`SQL Expression API <core/expression_api>` * **Engines, Connections, Pools:** :doc:`Engine Configuration <core/engines>` | :doc:`Connections, Transactions <core/connections>` | :doc:`Connection Pooling <core/pooling>` * **Schema Definition:** :ref:`Tables and Columns <metadata_describing>` | :ref:`Database Introspection (Reflection) <metadata_reflection>` | :ref:`Insert/Update Defaults <metadata_defaults>` | :ref:`Constraints and Indexes <metadata_constraints>` | :ref:`Using Data Definition Language (DDL) <metadata_ddl>` * **Datatypes:** :ref:`Overview <types_toplevel>` | :ref:`Generic Types <types_generic>` | :ref:`SQL Standard Types <types_sqlstandard>` | :ref:`Vendor Specific Types <types_vendor>` | :ref:`Building Custom Types <types_custom>` | :ref:`API <types_api>` * **Extending the Core:** :doc:`Core Event Interfaces <core/interfaces>` | :doc:`Creating Custom SQL Constructs <core/compiler>` * **Other:** :doc:`Serializing Expressions <core/serializer>` | :doc:`core/exceptions` Dialect Documentation ====================== The **dialect** is the system SQLAlchemy uses to communicate with various types of DBAPIs and databases. This section describes notes, options, and usage patterns regarding individual dialects. :doc:`dialects/firebird` | :doc:`dialects/informix` | :doc:`dialects/maxdb` | :doc:`dialects/access` | :doc:`dialects/mssql` | :doc:`dialects/mysql` | :doc:`dialects/oracle` | :doc:`dialects/postgresql` | :doc:`dialects/sqlite` | :doc:`dialects/sybase`