/model

Model Package

The model package provides a structured data storage interface with CRUD operations, query filtering, and multiple database backends.

Unlike the store package (which is a raw KV abstraction), model provides structured data access with schema awareness, WHERE queries, ordering, pagination, and indexes.

Quick Start

import (
    "context"
    "go-micro.dev/v5/model"
)

// Define your model with struct tags
type User struct {
    ID    string `json:"id" model:"key"`
    Name  string `json:"name" model:"index"`
    Email string `json:"email"`
    Age   int    `json:"age"`
}

// Create a model and register your type
db := model.NewModel()
db.Register(&User{})

ctx := context.Background()

// Create
db.Create(ctx, &User{ID: "1", Name: "Alice", Email: "alice@example.com", Age: 30})

// Read
user := &User{}
db.Read(ctx, "1", user)
fmt.Println(user.Name) // "Alice"

// Update
user.Name = "Alice Smith"
db.Update(ctx, user)

// Delete
db.Delete(ctx, "1", &User{})

Struct Tags

Tag	Description	Example
model:"key"	Primary key field	ID string \model:"key"``
model:"index"	Create an index on this field	Name string \model:"index"``
json:"name"	Column name in the database	Name string \json:"name"``

If no model:"key" tag is found, the package defaults to a field with json:"id" or column name id.

Querying

// Filter by field value
var users []*User
db.List(ctx, &users, model.Where("name", "Alice"))

// Comparison operators
db.List(ctx, &users, model.WhereOp("age", ">", 25))
db.List(ctx, &users, model.WhereOp("name", "LIKE", "Ali%"))

// Ordering
db.List(ctx, &users, model.OrderAsc("name"))
db.List(ctx, &users, model.OrderDesc("age"))

// Pagination
db.List(ctx, &users, model.Limit(10), model.Offset(20))

// Combine
db.List(ctx, &users,
    model.Where("status", "active"),
    model.WhereOp("age", ">=", 18),
    model.OrderDesc("created_at"),
    model.Limit(25),
)

// Count
total, _ := db.Count(ctx, &User{})
active, _ := db.Count(ctx, &User{}, model.Where("status", "active"))

Backends

Memory (Development & Testing)

import "go-micro.dev/v5/model"

db := model.NewModel()

In-memory storage. No persistence. Fast. Good for tests and prototyping.

SQLite (Development & Single-Node Production)

import "go-micro.dev/v5/model/sqlite"

db := sqlite.New("app.db")       // File-based
db := sqlite.New(":memory:")     // In-memory (testing)

Embedded SQL database. Zero external dependencies. Supports WHERE, indexes, ordering natively.

Postgres (Production)

import "go-micro.dev/v5/model/postgres"

db := postgres.New("postgres://user:pass@localhost/mydb?sslmode=disable")

Full PostgreSQL support. Best for production with rich query capabilities.

Table Names

By default, the table name is the lowercase struct name + "s" (e.g., User → users). Override with model.WithTable:

db.Register(&User{}, model.WithTable("app_users"))

Model Interface

All backends implement the model.Model interface:

type Model interface {
    Init(...Option) error
    Register(v interface{}, opts ...RegisterOption) error
    Create(ctx context.Context, v interface{}) error
    Read(ctx context.Context, key string, v interface{}) error
    Update(ctx context.Context, v interface{}) error
    Delete(ctx context.Context, key string, v interface{}) error
    List(ctx context.Context, result interface{}, opts ...QueryOption) error
    Count(ctx context.Context, v interface{}, opts ...QueryOption) (int64, error)
    Close() error
    String() string
}

Model vs Store

Feature	store	model
Data format	Raw []byte	Go structs
Queries	Key prefix/suffix only	WHERE, operators, LIKE
Ordering	None	ORDER BY field ASC/DESC
Pagination	Limit/Offset on keys	Limit/Offset on results
Indexes	None	Via model:"index" tag
Schema	None (schemaless KV)	Auto-created from struct
Backends	Memory, File, MySQL, Postgres, NATS	Memory, SQLite, Postgres
Use case	Config, sessions, cache	Application data, entities

Testing

go test ./model/...