1. Chapter 1 Introduction to SQLAlchemy

   1. What Is SQLAlchemy

   2. The Object/Relational “Impedance Mismatch”

   3. SQLAlchemy Philosophy

   4. SQLAlchemy Architecture

2. Chapter 2 Getting Started

   1. Installing SQLAlchemy

   2. SQLAlchemy Tutorial

3. Chapter 3 Engines and MetaData

   1. Engines and Connectables

   2. MetaData

4. Chapter 4 SQLAlchemy Type Engines

   1. Type System Overview

   2. Built-in Types

   3. Application-Specific Custom Types

5. Chapter 5 Running Queries and Updates

   1. Inserts, Updates, and Deletes

   2. Queries

6. Chapter 6 Building an Object Mapper

   1. Introduction to ORMs

   2. Declaring Object Mappers

   3. Declaring Relationships Between Mappers

   4. Extending Mappers

   5. ORM Partitioning Strategies

7. Chapter 7 Querying and Updating at the ORM Level

   1. The SQLAlchemy ORM Session Object

   2. Querying at the ORM Level

   3. Contextual or Thread-Local Sessions

8. Chapter 8 Inheritance Mapping

   1. Overview of Inheritance Mapping

   2. Single Table Inheritance Mapping

   3. Concrete Table Inheritance Mapping

   4. Joined Table Inheritance Mapping

   5. Relations and Inheritance

9. Chapter 9 Elixir: A Declarative Extension to SQLAlchemy

   1. Introduction to Elixir

   2. Installing Elixir

   3. Using Elixir

   4. Elixir Extensions

10. Chapter 10 SqlSoup: An Automatic Mapper for SQLAlchemy

    1. Introduction to SqlSoup

    2. Using SqlSoup for ORM-Style Queries and Updates

    3. Using SqlSoup for SQL-Level Inserts, Updates, and Deletes

    4. When to Use SqlSoup Versus Elixir Versus “Bare” SQLAlchemy

11. Chapter 11 Other SQLAlchemy Extensions

    1. Association Proxy

    2. Ordering List

    3. Deprecated Extensions

1. Colophon

The animal on the cover of Essential SQLAlchemy is a largescale flying fish (Cypselurus oligolepis). Flying fish is the more common name for members of the Exocoetidae family, which comprises roughly 40 species that inhabit the warm tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. Flying fish range from 7 to 12 inches in length and are characterized by their unusually large, winglike pectoral fins. Some species also have enlarged pelvic fins and are thus known as four-winged flying fish.

As their name suggests, flying fish have the unique ability to leap from the water and glide through the air for distances of up to a quarter of a mile. Their torpedo-like bodies help them gather the speed necessary to propel themselves from the ocean (about 37 miles per hour), and their distinctive pectoral fins and forked tailfins keep them airborne. Biologists believe this remarkable trait may have evolved as a way for flying fish to escape their many predators, which include tuna, mackerel, swordfish, marlin, and other larger fish. However, flying fish sometimes have a more difficult time evading their human predators. Attracted by a luring light that fishermen attach to their canoes at night, the fish leap in and are unable to vault themselves back out.

Dried flying fish are a dietary staple for the Tao people of Orchid Island, located off the coast of Taiwan, and flying fish roe is common in Japanese cuisine. They are also a coveted delicacy in Barbados, known as "Land of the flying fish" before shipping pollution and overfishing depleted their numbers. The flying fish retains a prominent cultural status there, however; it's the main ingredient in the national dish (cou cou and flying fish) and it is featured on coins, artwork, and even in the Barbados Tourism Authority's logo.

The cover image is from Dover's Animals. The cover font is Adobe ITC Garamond. The text font is Linotype Birka, the heading font is Adobe Myriad Condensed, and the code font is LucasFont's TheSansMonoCondensed.