Simplifying Databases with Prisma

Databases are critical to any piece of a modern and functional software stack. They allow user data to be aggregated, stored and fetched with reliability and efficacy. However, one thing has been plaguing development teams around the world for as long as databases have in production - standardisation.

While Structured Query Language (SQL), the language used to fetch and mutate data from a traditional relational database is a Fourth Generation language, it leaves a lot of different ways a developer can approach the structure of their queries.

This can lead to headaches when reading a team-members code and a lot of hassle for the Project Manager when it comes to merging any pull requests.

But what if there was a way for all the query code to be written in a common structure, with the ability to cross between different database infrastructures? Welcome to Prisma ORM, a cutting-edge Object Relational Mapper.

Prisma ORM is perfect for teams developing in TypeScript, the fast-growing development language that lands perfectly between rigidity and fluidity.

So what does Prisma do differently?

Prisma provides developers with a schema file that is used as a single source of truth for the database and can be pulled from an existing source, and even pushed to update the schema in testing, staging or production. At Ozone, we have used Prisma to update production database schemas for our clients around the world, and with support for TLS encrypted connections, you can keep everything secure without having to bend over backwards.

Migrations - for your databases?

The team at Prisma have provided a way for your development schema to be migrated with full migration logging, rollbacks and more. Prisma Migrate auto-generates SQL migrations from your Prisma schema. These customisable migration files give you full control and ultimate flexibility — from local development to production environments.

This allows development teams to safely push database changes to their production environment without the fear of losing their previous schema structure. This, paired with snapshot backups and a real-time redundancy database allows your business-critical databases to always stay up-to-date and backed up.

What can I use Prisma ORM with?

Prisma ORM is compatible with a wide range of frameworks and can easily integrate with any JavaScript or TypeScript project. At Ozone, we used Prisma ORM with NextJS and NodeJS daily, as it helps our team build and maintain database systems with ease.

Where do we go from here?

Prisma ORM is a powerful and versatile interface for developers and project managers. It allows database schemas to be easily updated and code to be standardised across your projects. Want to start your journey to create a powerful application harnessing the brilliance of Prisma ORM? Get in touch today.