what is the django orm

The Django ORM, or Object-Relational Mapping, is a tool that allows developers to interact with their database using Python code. The ORM helps bridge the gap between the database and Python code, making it easier to perform database operations without needing to write complex SQL queries.

1. Define Models: In this step, developers create Python classes that represent the data structure of their application. Each attribute of the class corresponds to a field in the database table.

2. Database Interaction: Once the models are defined, developers can use them to interact with the database. This includes performing operations such as creating, reading, updating, and deleting records without writing raw SQL queries.

3. Querysets: Querysets are used to retrieve data from the database based on certain conditions. Developers can filter, order, and aggregate data using the Django ORM's queryset API.

4. Lazy Evaluation: The Django ORM utilizes lazy evaluation, meaning that database operations are only performed when the data is actually needed. This can help optimize performance by minimizing unnecessary database queries.

5. Migration: The ORM includes a migration system that allows developers to make changes to their database schema using Python code, and then apply those changes to the database with a simple command.

These steps collectively demonstrate the fundamental process of using the Django ORM to interact with a database within a Django application.