python - Difference between filter and filter_by in SQLAlchemy

Question

Could anyone explain the difference between filter and filter_by functions in SQLAlchemy? Which one should I be using?

Answer 1

filter_by is used for simple queries on the column names using regular kwargs, like

db.users.filter_by(name='Joe')

The same can be accomplished with filter, not using kwargs, but instead using the '==' equality operator, which has been overloaded on the db.users.name object:

db.users.filter(db.users.name=='Joe')

You can also write more powerful queries using filter, such as expressions like:

db.users.filter(or_(db.users.name=='Ryan', db.users.country=='England'))