simple-builder

Simple SQL query string builder

Installation

npm install simple-builder --save

Motivation

SQL query builders (such as squel.js) often feel heavy. It is not easy to create your SQL query without reading the documentation.

The aim of simple-builder is

• to NOT obscure the actual SQL code
• to make use of your existing SQL knowledge
• to make queries easy-to-read and easy-to-follow
• to eliminate annoyances of different client libraries

API

build(Array partials) -> Object

build(Arguments partials) -> Object

The partials can be either an Array or plain function arguments consisting of:

• strings
• numbers
• arrays
• boolean values
• objects

All of them are partial values for constructing query Object.

var email = "[e-mail]"
var partials = [ "SELECT * FROM users WHERE email = ?", email ]

Every query is constructed by creating a partials array and passing it to the simple-builder.

var build = require("simple-builder").pg
 
var query = build(partials)
// { text: "SELECT * FROM users WHERE email = $1", values: [ "[e-mail]" ] }

The output of simple-builder is always an Object containing:

• text property
• values property

The values property may not be set when there was no variable in your partials array.

var rows = yield db.query(query.text, query.values)

Syntax

The partials array is a mix of SQL code and variables that are to be inserted into the final query.

For variable insertion, the question mark syntax is used.

var user_id = 1
var partials = [ "SELECT * FROM users WHERE id = ?", user_id ]

For every SQL string in your partials array the number of question marks is retrieved. Matching number of variables is then expected right after this SQL string.

var user_id = 1
var email = "[e-mail]"
var partials = [ "SELECT * FROM users WHERE id = ? AND email = ?", user_id, email ]

You are basically mixing SQL code and variables.

var user_id = 1
var partials = [ 
  "SELECT * FROM friends WHERE friend_id = ?", user_id,
  "ORDER BY created_at"
]
 
var query = build(partials)
// { text: "SELECT * FROM friends WHERE friend_id = $1 ORDER BY created_at", values: [ 1 ] }

INSERT query

Some query builders are making INSERT queries easy to write by using insertion object.

var insertion = {
  username: "John Doe",
  email: "[e-mail]"
}

The keys of the insertion object represent database columns.

var partials = [ "INSERT INTO users VALUES ?", insertion ]

The example above is the supported syntax for inserting an object.

var partials = [ "INSERT INTO users VALUES ?", insertion, "RETURNING id" ]

When VALUES ? substring is found in the SQL partial, the next value is expected to be an Object.

var query = build(partials)
// { text: "INSERT INTO users (username,email) VALUES ($1,$2) RETURNING id", values: [ "John Doe", "[e-mail]" ] }

The INSERT queries can still be written by hand.

var partials = [ 
  "INSERT INTO users (username, email)",
  "VALUES (?, ?)", insertion.username, insertion.email, 
  "RETURNING id" 
]

UPDATE query

In a similar manner as the INSERT, UPDATE queries can also be written using update objects.

var update = {
  username: "Biggie Smalls",
  gender: "female"
}

The keys of the update object represent database columns.

var current_username = "John Doe"
var partials = [ "UPDATE users SET ?", update, "WHERE username = ?", current_username ]

The example above is the supported syntax for updating with an object.

var query = build(partials)
// { text: "UPDATE users SET username=$1,gender=$2 WHERE username=$3", values: [ "Biggie Smalls", "female", "John Doe" ] }

The UPDATE queries can still be written by hand.

var partials = [ 
  "UPDATE users",
  "SET username = ?, gender = ?", update.username, update.gender
  "WHERE username = ?", current_username
]

Examples

var build = require("simple-builder").mysql
 
// SELECT query
var query = build([
  "SELECT * FROM users",
  "WHERE id = ? AND username = ?", user_id, username
])
 
// { text: "SELECT * FROM users WHERE id = ? AND username = ?", values: [ 1, "John Doe" ] }
 
var rows = yield db.query(query.text, query.values)
 
var build = require("simple-builder").pg
 
// UPDATE query
var query = build([
  "UPDATE users SET ?", { username: "something", gender: "male" },
  "WHERE user_id = ? AND is_hidden = ?", user_id, false
])
 
// { "text": "UPDATE users SET username=$1,gender=$2 WHERE user_id = $3 AND is_hidden = $4", "values": [ "something", "male", 123, false ] }
 
var rows = yield db.query(query.text, query.values)
 
// INSERT query
var query = build([
  "INSERT INTO", "users",
  "VALUES ?", { username: "something", gender: "male" }
])
 
// { "text": "INSERT INTO users (username,gender) VALUES ($1,$2)", "values": [ "something", "male" ] }
 
var rows = yield db.query(query.text, query.values)

Dependencies

This library has no dependencies.

Limitations

The output is only suitable for mysql, mysql2 and pg drivers.

var build = require("simple-builder").pg
var build = require("simple-builder").mysql

License

MIT