sqlalchemy-code-review

SQLAlchemy Code Review

Quick Reference

| Issue Type | Reference | |------------|-----------| | Session lifecycle, context managers, async sessions | [references/sessions.md](references/sessions.md) | | relationship(), lazy loading, N+1, joinedload | [references/relationships.md](references/relationships.md) | | select() vs query(), ORM overhead, bulk ops | [references/queries.md](references/queries.md) | | Alembic patterns, reversible migrations, data migrations | [references/migrations.md](references/migrations.md) |

Review Checklist

• [ ] Sessions use context managers (with, async with)
• [ ] No session sharing across requests or threads
• [ ] Sessions closed/cleaned up properly
• [ ] relationship() uses appropriate lazy strategy
• [ ] Explicit joinedload/selectinload to avoid N+1
• [ ] No lazy loading in loops (N+1 queries)
• [ ] Using SQLAlchemy 2.0 select() syntax, not legacy query()
• [ ] Bulk operations use bulk_insert/bulk_update, not ORM loops
• [ ] Async sessions use proper async context managers
• [ ] Migrations are reversible with downgrade()
• [ ] Data migrations use op.execute() not ORM models
• [ ] Migration dependencies properly ordered

Gates (SQLAlchemy-specific)

Run once per SQLAlchemy-related finding, after you can anchor file:line (see [review-verification-protocol](../review-verification-protocol/SKILL.md)) and before the finding ships. If a step’s pass condition is not met, do not assert the finding as written—gather evidence, withdraw, downgrade severity, or rephrase as a question.

Gate 1 — Session scope and lifecycle

| Step | Action | Pass condition | |------|--------|---------------------| | 1a | Open the module where the session is created or injected (not from memory). | file:line for Session, sessionmaker, async_session, or the factory/Depends() that yields a session. | | 1b | If claiming leak, cross-request sharing, or missing cleanup: trace the session’s scope (context manager, try/finally, middleware). | Scoped region cited with a file:line range, or withdraw if scope is correct after the read. |

Gate 2 — N+1, lazy loading, eager loads

| Step | Action | Pass condition | |------|--------|---------------------| | 2a | Identify the loop or repeated call site (ORM attribute access, execute in a loop). | file:line for the loop or hot path. | | 2b | If claiming N+1: name the relationship or query pattern emitted per iteration. | Relationship or per-iteration SQL pattern with file:line, or rephrase as a question if unclear. |

Gate 3 — Migrations (Alembic)

| Step | Action | Pass condition | |------|--------|---------------------| | 3a | Open the revision file (e.g. under versions/, or the project’s Alembic layout). | Repo-relative path + file:line for revision / upgrade / downgrade. | | 3b | If claiming broken downgrade() or risky data migration: point at the op.* / op.execute() involved. | Snippet or line range in that file for each claimed op, or withdraw. |

When to Load References

• Reviewing session creation/cleanup → sessions.md
• Reviewing model relationships → relationships.md
• Reviewing database queries → queries.md
• Reviewing Alembic migration files → migrations.md

Review Questions

1. Are all sessions properly managed with context managers?
2. Are relationships configured to avoid N+1 queries?
3. Are queries using SQLAlchemy 2.0 select() syntax?
4. Are all migrations reversible and properly tested?