Prisma: The ORM That Feels Modern

Prisma is a modern ORM (Object-Relational Mapper) that connects your TypeScript/Node.js app to databases like PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, and more. It generates a type-safe client based on a schema you define. The workflow is: you describe your models in schema.prisma, run a migration, and Prisma generates a client. That client has fully typed methods like prisma.user.findMany() or prisma.post.create(). Why use Prisma? It reduces boilerplate, improves type safety, and makes database queries easier to read and maintain. You get autocomplete for fields, relations, and filters directly in your editor. Example mental model: Instead of writing raw SQL, you write queries like prisma.user.findUnique({ where: { email } }). TypeScript ensures you don’t query fields that don’t exist or pass wrong data types. Prisma fits perfectly with Next.js and TypeScript. It encourages a clean, schema-first approach to your data layer, which is exactly what you want for professional full-stack applications.