Databases

Use this skill when persistence architecture and ORM integration are core to the task, especially SQLAlchemy plugin wiring or Piccolo DTO-based API flows.

Execution Workflow

1. Choose ORM path (SQLAlchemy or Piccolo) based on ecosystem and project constraints.
2. For SQLAlchemy, choose plugin strategy first (SQLAlchemyPlugin vs SQLAlchemyInitPlugin + optional SQLAlchemySerializationPlugin).
3. Configure engine + session factory centrally at app initialization (async or sync).
4. Define model/repository/service boundaries and keep transaction ownership explicit.
5. Integrate dependency injection so handlers receive a scoped session/unit-of-work.
6. Define DTO and serialization boundaries at API edges (never leak raw ORM internals unintentionally).
7. Validate lifecycle behavior: startup initialization, request cleanup/rollback, and lazy-loading behavior in hot paths.

Implementation Rules