# SQLAlchemy 0.8 Documentation

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Release: 0.8.1 | Release Date: April 27, 2013

# SQLAlchemy Documentation

## Getting Started

A high level view and getting set up.

Overview | Installation Guide | Migration from 0.7 | Glossary | Changelog catalog

## 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: Object Relational Tutorial
- ORM Configuration: Mapper Configuration | Relationship Configuration | Inheritance Mapping | Advanced Collection Configuration
- Configuration Extensions: Declarative Extension | Association Proxy | Hybrid Attributes | Mutable Scalars | Ordered List
- ORM Usage: Session Usage and Guidelines | Query API reference | Relationship Loading Techniques
- Extending the ORM: ORM Event Interfaces | Internals API
- Other: Introduction to Examples | Deprecated Event Interfaces | ORM Exceptions | Horizontal Sharding | Alternate Instrumentation

## 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: SQL Expression Language Tutorial
- All the Built In SQL: SQL Expression API
- Engines, Connections, Pools: Engine Configuration | Connections, Transactions | Connection Pooling
- Schema Definition: Tables and Columns | Database Introspection (Reflection) | Insert/Update Defaults | Constraints and Indexes | Using Data Definition Language (DDL)
- Datatypes: Overview | Generic Types | SQL Standard Types | Vendor Specific Types | Building Custom Types | Defining New Operators | API
- Extending the Core: SQLAlchemy Events | Core Event Interfaces | Creating Custom SQL Constructs | Internals API
- Other: Runtime Inspection API | Deprecated Event Interfaces | 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.

Index of all Dialects