ORM Migrations

ORM Migrations are a database schema management technique used in software development, particularly with Object-Relational Mapping (ORM) frameworks. They involve creating and applying incremental, version-controlled changes to a database schema to keep it synchronized with an application's data model. This process allows developers to evolve the database structure over time without manual SQL scripting or data loss.

Also known as: Database Migrations, Schema Migrations, ORM Schema Changes, Data Model Migrations, DB Migrations

Why learn ORM Migrations?

Developers should use ORM Migrations when building applications with ORMs like Django ORM, SQLAlchemy, or Entity Framework to manage database changes efficiently during development and deployment. They are essential for maintaining consistency across different environments (e.g., development, staging, production), enabling team collaboration, and supporting continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines by automating schema updates.

Learning Resources

• docs: Django Migrations Documentation
• tutorial: SQLAlchemy Alembic Tutorial
• docs: Entity Framework Core Migrations - Microsoft Learn
• video: Database Migrations Explained - YouTube
• docs: Database Migration Patterns - Martin Fowler