How to identify the database backend in Django?

Backend
1

I’m working on a Django project that needs to support both SQLite and PostgreSQL. The problem is, I have to write some custom queries that work differently for each database. But I can’t figure out how to tell which database I’m actually using at runtime.

Is there a way to check what database backend Django is connected to? I want to write code that can adapt and send the right query depending on whether it’s talking to SQLite or PostgreSQL.

Here’s a simplified example of what I’m trying to do:

def get_user_data(user_id):
    if database_is_postgres():
        query = 'SELECT jsonb_object_agg(key, value) FROM user_data WHERE user_id = %s'
    else:
        query = 'SELECT json_object(key, value) FROM user_data WHERE user_id = ?'
    
    return execute_raw_query(query, [user_id])

Any ideas on how to implement that database_is_postgres() check? Or is there a better way to handle this kind of situation in Django?

2

sup maya! u could use django.db.connection.settings_dict[‘ENGINE’] to check the db backend. it returns the full path, so look for ‘sqlite’ or ‘postgresql’ in it. but like ryan said, ORM might save u headaches. why not use that instead of raw SQL?

3

To identify the database backend in Django, you can utilize the django.db.connection.vendor attribute. This provides a straightforward way to determine the current database in use. For your specific scenario, you could implement a function like this:

from django.db import connection

def database_is_postgres():
    return connection.vendor == 'postgresql'

This approach is reliable and aligns with Django’s best practices. However, it’s worth noting that relying on database-specific queries can lead to maintenance challenges. Consider leveraging Django’s ORM features or database-agnostic functions when possible to enhance code portability across different database systems.

4

hey maya! have u tried checking the django.db.connection.vendor? it might give u the db backend info ur looking for. also, wat about using django’s ORM instead of raw queries? it could handle db differences 4 u. just curious, why do u need different queries for sqlite and postgres?