Dapper

Speed of Raw SQL, Simplicity of .NET.

Dapper is a light and high performance micro-ORM (Object Relation Mapper) in the .NET technology. Created by the folks at Stack Overflow it sought to provide an easy to use, lightweight access to data in .NET projects without the overhead of a fully featured ORM such as Entity Framework.

Dapper is less an attempt to abstract SQL out of existence, instead it is quite happy to use SQL. It aids you in entering unprocessed queries and that it takes care of mapping results into your C # objects. This is why Dapper is a very popular option among developers that need to have a more direct control of how they interact with a database, yet still enjoy cleaner code that is less repetitive.

Core uses Dapper on all our .NET projects and it has proven to be able to handle millions of transaction without breaking a sweat.

How Dapper is Used

Dapper is a normal practice in web APIs, desktop apps and microservices application staging on the .NET framework. Dapper can fit in any relational database that is ADO.NET supported, i.e. Oracle, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL, or SQLite.

Executing Queries

Dapper is very convenient to write SQL queries and to straight-forwardly map the results to C# objects. E.g. to select a list of objects of type User, a single line of code (SELECT * FROM Users) will bring back a list.

Performing Inserts, Updates, and Deletes

In addition to reading data, Dapper handles non-query commands like inserts and updates and deletes. It lets you execute parameterized queries efficiently and securely.

Stored Procedures Support

Dapper works seamlessly with stored procedures, allowing you to pass parameters and automatically map the returned data to your models.

Minimal Configuration

There is no complex setup required. You just install the NuGet package, open a database connection, and start querying. It fits naturally into existing .NET projects.

Key Features of Dapper

  • Performance-focused: Dapper is one of the fastest ORMs available for .NET, with minimal overhead.
  • Simple API: You can map queries to C# objects using a clean and concise syntax.
  • Support for multiple databases: Works with any database that supports ADO.NET.
  • Extension-based: Dapper is a set of extension methods for IDbConnection, so it works with existing connection objects.
  • Support for complex mappings: Dapper includes support for multi-mapping, where you can join multiple tables and map the results into related objects.

Pros and Cons of Dapper

Pros

  • Very fast: Its lightweight nature and minimal abstraction layer make it faster than most other ORMs.
  • No learning curve for SQL: You use SQL directly, so there’s no need to learn a query language like LINQ.
  • Lightweight and easy to integrate: Just add the NuGet package and start coding.
  • Clear and predictable behaviour: Since you are writing the SQL yourself, you know exactly what will happen when a query runs.
  • Ideal for microservices or performance-critical applications where speed matters.

Cons

  • No change tracking: Unlike Entity Framework, Dapper does not track changes to objects. You have to manually handle updates.
  • No migrations or schema management: Dapper does not provide tooling for managing database schema changes.
  • Not a full ORM: You are responsible for writing SQL and managing relationships, which might be too low-level for some projects.
  • Less helpful for complex object graphs: Handling deeply nested data models requires extra work compared to full ORMs.

Final Thoughts

Dapper is a great choice for .NET developers who want fast and straightforward database access without giving up control. It strikes a balance between raw ADO.NET and full ORMs like Entity Framework, offering performance and simplicity without sacrificing flexibility.

If you are comfortable writing SQL and want to avoid the complexity of heavier frameworks, Dapper is an excellent fit for web APIs, batch applications, services, and applications where performance and precision matter.

 

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