undeexcepturi/docs/versioned_docs/version-2.7/usage-with-sql.md

TypeScript ORM for Node.js based on Data Mapper, Unit of Work and Identity Map patterns. Supports MongoDB, MySQL, PostgreSQL and SQLite databases as well as usage with vanilla JavaScript.

---
title: Usage with MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL or SQLite
sidebar_label: Usage with SQL Drivers
---

To use `mikro-orm` with MySQL database, do not forget to install `mysql2` dependency and set the type option to `mysql` when initializing ORM.

Similarly for SQLite install `sqlite` dependency and provide `sqlite` database type. For PostgreSQL install `pg` and provide `postgresql` type.

Then call `MikroORM.init` as part of bootstrapping your app:

```typescript
const orm = await MikroORM.init({
  entitiesDirs: ['entities'], // relative to `baseDir`
  dbName: 'my-db-name',
  type: 'mysql', // or 'sqlite' or 'postgresql'
});
```

## Custom driver

If you want to use database that is not currently supported, you can implement your own driver. More information about how to create one can be [found here](./custom-driver.md). Then provide the driver class via `driver` configuration option:

```typescript
import { MyCustomDriver } from './MyCustomDriver.ts';

const orm = await MikroORM.init({
  entitiesDirs: ['entities'], // relative to `baseDir`
  dbName: 'my-db-name',
  driver: MyCustomDriver, // provide the class, not just its name
});
```

## Schema

Currently you will need to maintain the database schema yourself. For initial dump, you can use [`SchemaGenerator` helper](schema-generator.md).

## ManyToMany collections with pivot tables

As opposed to `MongoDriver`, in MySQL we use pivot tables to handle `ManyToMany` relations:

```sql
CREATE TABLE `publisher_to_test` (
  `id` int(11) unsigned NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT,
  `publisher_id` int(11) DEFAULT NULL,
  `test_id` int(11) DEFAULT NULL,
  PRIMARY KEY (`id`)
) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8;
```

You can adjust the name of pivot table via `pivotTable` option in `@ManyToMany` decorator defined on owning side:

```typescript
// for unidirectional
@ManyToMany({ entity: () => Test, owner: true, pivotTable: 'publisher2test' })
tests = new Collection<Test>(this);

// for bidirectional
@ManyToMany({ entity: () => BookTag, inversedBy: 'books', pivotTable: 'book2tag' })
tags = new Collection<BookTag>(this);
```

## Using QueryBuilder to execute native SQL queries

When you need to execute some SQL query without all the ORM stuff involved, you can either compose the query yourself, or use the `QueryBuilder` helper to construct the query for you:

```typescript
const qb = orm.em.createQueryBuilder(Author);
qb.update({ name: 'test 123', type: PublisherType.GLOBAL }).where({ id: 123, type: PublisherType.LOCAL });

console.log(qb.getQuery());
// 'UPDATE `publisher2` SET `name` = ?, `type` = ? WHERE `id` = ? AND `type` = ?'

console.log(qb.getParams());
// ['test 123', PublisherType.GLOBAL, 123, PublisherType.LOCAL]

// run the query
const res1 = await qb.execute();

// or run query without using QueryBuilder
const driver = orm.em.getDriver<MySqlDriver>();
const res2 = await driver.execute('SELECT ? + ?', [1, 2]);
```

`QueryBuilder` provides fluent interface with these methods:

```typescript
QueryBuilder.select(fields: string | string[], distinct?: boolean): QueryBuilder;
QueryBuilder.insert(data: any): QueryBuilder;
QueryBuilder.update(data: any): QueryBuilder;
QueryBuilder.delete(cond: any): QueryBuilder;
QueryBuilder.count(fields: string | string[], distinct?: boolean): QueryBuilder;
QueryBuilder.join(field: string, alias?: string): QueryBuilder;
QueryBuilder.leftJoin(field: string, alias?: string): QueryBuilder;
QueryBuilder.where(cond: any, operator: '$and' | '$or'): QueryBuilder;
QueryBuilder.andWhere(cond: any): QueryBuilder;
QueryBuilder.orWhere(cond: any): QueryBuilder;
QueryBuilder.groupBy(fields: string | string[]): QueryBuilder;
QueryBuilder.having(cond: any): QueryBuilder;
QueryBuilder.populate(populate: string[]): QueryBuilder;
QueryBuilder.limit(limit: number, offset?: number): QueryBuilder;
QueryBuilder.offset(offset: number): QueryBuilder;
QueryBuilder.getQuery(): string;
QueryBuilder.getParams(): any;
QueryBuilder.clone(): QueryBuilder;
```

For more examples of how to work with `QueryBuilder`, take a look at `QueryBuilder` tests in [`tests/QueryBuilder.test.ts`](https://github.com/mikro-orm/mikro-orm/blob/master/tests/QueryBuilder.test.ts).

## Transactions

When you call `EntityManager#flush()`, all computed changes are queried [inside a database transaction](./unit-of-work.md) by default, so you do not have to handle transactions manually.

When you need to explicitly handle the transaction, you can use `beginTransaction/commit/rollback` methods on both `MySqlDriver` and their shortcuts on `EntityManager`.

You can also use `EntityManager.transactional(cb)` helper to run callback in transaction. It will provide forked `EntityManager` as a parameter with clear clear isolated identity map - please use that to make changes.

```typescript
// if an error occurs inside the callback, all db queries from inside the callback will be rolled back
await orm.em.transactional(async (em: EntityManager) => {
  const god = new Author('God', 'hello@heaven.god');
  await em.persistAndFlush(god);
});
```

```typescript
EntityManager.beginTransaction(): Promise<void>;
EntityManager.commit(): Promise<void>;
EntityManager.rollback(): Promise<void>;
EntityManager.transactional(cb: (em: EntityManager) => Promise<any>): Promise<any>;
```

## LIKE queries

SQL do support LIKE queries via native JS regular expressions:

```typescript
const author1 = new Author2('Author 1', 'a1@example.com');
const author2 = new Author2('Author 2', 'a2@example.com');
const author3 = new Author2('Author 3', 'a3@example.com');
await orm.em.persistAndFlush([author1, author2, author3]);

// finds authors with email like '%exa%le.c_m'
const authors = await orm.em.find(Author2, { email: /exa.*le\.c.m$/ });
console.log(authors); // all 3 authors found
```

## Native collection methods

Sometimes you need to perform some bulk operation, or you just want to populate your database with initial fixtures. Using ORM for such operations can bring unnecessary boilerplate code. In this case, you can use one of `nativeInsert/nativeUpdate/nativeDelete` methods:

```typescript
EntityManager.nativeInsert<T extends IEntity>(entityName: string, data: any): Promise<IPrimaryKey>;
EntityManager.nativeUpdate<T extends IEntity>(entityName: string, where: FilterQuery<T>, data: any): Promise<number>;
EntityManager.nativeDelete<T extends IEntity>(entityName: string, where: FilterQuery<T> | any): Promise<number>;
```

Those methods execute native SQL queries generated via `QueryBuilder` based on entity metadata. Keep in mind that they do not hydrate results to entities, and they do not trigger lifecycle hooks.

They are also available as `EntityRepository` shortcuts:

```typescript
EntityRepository.nativeInsert(data: any): Promise<IPrimaryKey>;
EntityRepository.nativeUpdate(where: FilterQuery<T>, data: any): Promise<number>;
EntityRepository.nativeDelete(where: FilterQuery<T> | any): Promise<number>;
```

Additionally there is `execute()` method that supports executing raw SQL queries or `QueryBuilder` instances. To create `QueryBuilder`, you can use `createQueryBuilder()` factory method on both `EntityManager` and `EntityRepository` classes:

```typescript
const qb = em.createQueryBuilder('Author');
qb.select('*').where({ id: { $in: [...] } });
const res = await em.getDriver<MySqlDriver>().execute(qb);
console.log(res); // unprocessed result of underlying database driver
```