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Comparison with Yesql

Yesql is a Clojure library written by Kris Jenkins. It has a similar take on using SQL that HugSQL embraces whole-heartedly. Yesql is the spiritual predecessor to HugSQL, and HugSQL would not exist were it not for this great library.

So why build a similar library?

A project of mine with somewhat complex SQL required me to generate dynamically-named tables and views with variable columns, and I found myself having to revert back to string concatenation for building up my SQL. I realized I needed something similar to Yesql, but with support for different types of parameter placeholders: namely, SQL Identifiers and SQL Keywords. This was the seed that grew into HugSQL, and the two libraries have quite a few differences now. --Curtis Summers

Differences between Yesql and HugSQL:

• Yesql is coupled to clojure.java.jdbc. HugSQL has protocol-based adapters to allow multiple database backend libraries and ships with support for clojure.java.jdbc, next.jdbc, and clojure.jdbc. This functionality has enabled multiple adapters from the community. See HugSQL Adapters for more information.
• Yesql only supports SQL Value parameters. HugSQL supports SQL Values, SQL Tuples, SQL Identifiers, Raw SQL Parameters, and creation of your own custom parameter types. See Parameter Types for more detail.
• Yesql supports positional parameter placeholders ? and named parameter placeholders :id. HugSQL only supports named parameter placeholders and there are no plans to support positional placeholders.
• Yesql tends to favor naming conventions of the function name (!, and <! suffixes) to indicate functionality. HugSQL prefers explicit configuration in the SQL file. HugSQL features a :result configuration that indicates the expected return format (e.g., :many = vector of hashmaps, :one = hashmap). Yesql supports a similar functionality by passing the :result-set-fn option through to clojure.java.jdbc/query.
• Yesql (as of 0.5.x) supports setting a default database connection at the time of function definition, and optionally overriding this connection at function call time. HugSQL expects a database spec, connection, or transaction object as the first argument to your function call. However, as of version 0.4.1, HugSQL provides map-of-db-fns allowing other libraries to wrap HugSQL-created functions and set a default database connection. This is precisely what the Luminus web framework's conman library does.
• As of HugSQL 0.4.0, HugSQL supports Clojure expressions and Snippets for composing SQL from smaller parts.
• Yesql is frozen with a maintainer sought as of version 0.5.3.