QxOrm In a Nutshell

What is QxOrm?

Alright, let’s talk QxOrm—because, let’s be honest, setting up a C++ ORM (Object-Relational Mapping) without losing your mind is no small feat.

QxOrm is basically the ORM library for Qt developers who are tired of writing endless SQL queries. It’s designed to bridge the gap between C++ objects and relational databases (like MySQL, SQLite, PostgreSQL, etc.) while also throwing in some serialization, reflection, and even JSON support.

In short, it’s like having a Swiss Army knife for C++ database development, but without the risk of accidentally cutting yourself.

Why Use QxOrm?

So why bother with QxOrm when you could just manually write SQL like a caveman?

• Less Boilerplate – Define your C++ models and let QxOrm handle the SQL generation.
• Qt Integration – Plays nicely with the Qt framework.
• Multi-Database Support – Works with SQLite, MySQL, PostgreSQL, etc.
• Serialization Support – JSON, XML, and binary formats out of the box.
• Reflection System – No need for tedious getters/setters.
• Batch Operations – Fetch thousands of rows in one go.

Basically, it makes your life easier if you’re working in C++ with databases.

Installation

Before we dive into the magic, let’s get this thing installed.

Step 1: Download QxOrm

You can grab QxOrm from its official website or clone it directly:

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git clone https://github.com/QxOrm/QxOrm.git

Step 2: Add QxOrm to Your Project

Make sure you have Qt installed, then simply include QxOrm in your project:

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#include <QxOrm.h>

That’s it. No crazy dependencies or magic rituals required.

Basic Example

Defining a Model

Let’s create a simple User model and map it to a database table.

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#include <QxOrm.h>

class User
{
public:
    long id;
    QString name;
    int age;
    
    User() : id(0), age(0) {}
    User(long _id, QString _name, int _age) : id(_id), name(_name), age(_age) {}
};

QX_REGISTER_HPP_QX_USER(User, qx::trait::no_base_class, 1)

Registering the Model

Now, let’s tell QxOrm how this model maps to a database table:

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QX_REGISTER_CPP_QX_USER(User)
namespace qx
{
    template <> void register_class(QxClass<User> & t)
    {
        t.id(&User::id, "id");
        t.data(&User::name, "name");
        t.data(&User::age, "age");
    }
}

Saving Data to the Database

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QSqlDatabase db = QSqlDatabase::addDatabase("QSQLITE");
db.setDatabaseName("my_database.db");
db.open();

QxSession session;
User u(1, "Alice", 30);
session.save(u);

Fetching Data

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QVector<User> users;
qx::dao::fetch_all(users);
for (const auto & user : users)
{
    qDebug() << "User:" << user.name << "Age:" << user.age;
}

Comparison: QxOrm vs Other C++ ORMs

As you can see, QxOrm is the go-to option if you’re using Qt and want something with powerful reflection and serialization features.

Advanced Features

JSON Support

Want to convert your C++ object into JSON? No problem!

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QVariant json = qx::serialization::to_variant(user);
qDebug() << json;

Bulk Operations

Need to insert a ton of records at once? Do this:

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std::vector<User> bulkUsers = { {1, "Alice", 30}, {2, "Bob", 25} };
qx::dao::insert(bulkUsers);

Transactions

If you need to commit or rollback, use transactions:

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QxSession session;
session.begin();
session.save(user);
session.commit();

Wrapping Up

QxOrm is a lifesaver for Qt-based C++ database applications. It simplifies database operations, reduces boilerplate, and makes working with C++ a little less painful (which is saying something).

So, if you’re working in Qt and need an ORM, QxOrm is your new best friend. Give it a shot, and let it handle the database headaches for you!

Key Ideas

References

• Official QxOrm Website
• QxOrm GitHub
• Qt Documentation