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Create Models with a Many-to-Many Link - SQLModel
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  3. Tutorial - User Guide
  4. Many to Many - Intro

Create Models with a Many-to-Many Link

We'll now support many-to-many relationships using a link table like this:

many-to-many table relationships [many-to-many table relationships]

Let's start by defining the class models, including the link table model.

As we want to support a many-to-many relationship, now we need a link table to connect them.

We can create it just as any other SQLModel:

Python 3.10+
from sqlmodel import Field, Relationship, Session, SQLModel, create_engine


class HeroTeamLink(SQLModel, table=True):
    team_id: int | None = Field(default=None, foreign_key="team.id", primary_key=True)
    hero_id: int | None = Field(default=None, foreign_key="hero.id", primary_key=True)

# Code below omitted
Full file preview
Python 3.10+
from sqlmodel import Field, Relationship, Session, SQLModel, create_engine


class HeroTeamLink(SQLModel, table=True):
    team_id: int | None = Field(default=None, foreign_key="team.id", primary_key=True)
    hero_id: int | None = Field(default=None, foreign_key="hero.id", primary_key=True)


class Team(SQLModel, table=True):
    id: int | None = Field(default=None, primary_key=True)
    name: str = Field(index=True)
    headquarters: str

    heroes: list["Hero"] = Relationship(back_populates="teams", link_model=HeroTeamLink)


class Hero(SQLModel, table=True):
    id: int | None = Field(default=None, primary_key=True)
    name: str = Field(index=True)
    secret_name: str
    age: int | None = Field(default=None, index=True)

    teams: list[Team] = Relationship(back_populates="heroes", link_model=HeroTeamLink)


sqlite_file_name = "database.db"
sqlite_url = f"sqlite:///{sqlite_file_name}"

engine = create_engine(sqlite_url, echo=True)


def create_db_and_tables():
    SQLModel.metadata.create_all(engine)


def create_heroes():
    with Session(engine) as session:
        team_preventers = Team(name="Preventers", headquarters="Sharp Tower")
        team_z_force = Team(name="Z-Force", headquarters="Sister Margaret's Bar")

        hero_deadpond = Hero(
            name="Deadpond",
            secret_name="Dive Wilson",
            teams=[team_z_force, team_preventers],
        )
        hero_rusty_man = Hero(
            name="Rusty-Man",
            secret_name="Tommy Sharp",
            age=48,
            teams=[team_preventers],
        )
        hero_spider_boy = Hero(
            name="Spider-Boy", secret_name="Pedro Parqueador", teams=[team_preventers]
        )
        session.add(hero_deadpond)
        session.add(hero_rusty_man)
        session.add(hero_spider_boy)
        session.commit()

        session.refresh(hero_deadpond)
        session.refresh(hero_rusty_man)
        session.refresh(hero_spider_boy)

        print("Deadpond:", hero_deadpond)
        print("Deadpond teams:", hero_deadpond.teams)
        print("Rusty-Man:", hero_rusty_man)
        print("Rusty-Man Teams:", hero_rusty_man.teams)
        print("Spider-Boy:", hero_spider_boy)
        print("Spider-Boy Teams:", hero_spider_boy.teams)


def main():
    create_db_and_tables()
    create_heroes()


if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()

This is a SQLModel class model table like any other.

It has two fields, team_id and hero_id.

They are both foreign keys to their respective tables. We'll create those models in a second, but you already know how that works.

And both fields are primary keys. We hadn't used this before.

Team Model

Let's see the Team model, it's almost identical as before, but with a little change:

Python 3.10+
# Code above omitted 

class Team(SQLModel, table=True):
    id: int | None = Field(default=None, primary_key=True)
    name: str = Field(index=True)
    headquarters: str

    heroes: list["Hero"] = Relationship(back_populates="teams", link_model=HeroTeamLink)

# Code below omitted
Full file preview
Python 3.10+
from sqlmodel import Field, Relationship, Session, SQLModel, create_engine


class HeroTeamLink(SQLModel, table=True):
    team_id: int | None = Field(default=None, foreign_key="team.id", primary_key=True)
    hero_id: int | None = Field(default=None, foreign_key="hero.id", primary_key=True)


class Team(SQLModel, table=True):
    id: int | None = Field(default=None, primary_key=True)
    name: str = Field(index=True)
    headquarters: str

    heroes: list["Hero"] = Relationship(back_populates="teams", link_model=HeroTeamLink)


class Hero(SQLModel, table=True):
    id: int | None = Field(default=None, primary_key=True)
    name: str = Field(index=True)
    secret_name: str
    age: int | None = Field(default=None, index=True)

    teams: list[Team] = Relationship(back_populates="heroes", link_model=HeroTeamLink)


sqlite_file_name = "database.db"
sqlite_url = f"sqlite:///{sqlite_file_name}"

engine = create_engine(sqlite_url, echo=True)


def create_db_and_tables():
    SQLModel.metadata.create_all(engine)


def create_heroes():
    with Session(engine) as session:
        team_preventers = Team(name="Preventers", headquarters="Sharp Tower")
        team_z_force = Team(name="Z-Force", headquarters="Sister Margaret's Bar")

        hero_deadpond = Hero(
            name="Deadpond",
            secret_name="Dive Wilson",
            teams=[team_z_force, team_preventers],
        )
        hero_rusty_man = Hero(
            name="Rusty-Man",
            secret_name="Tommy Sharp",
            age=48,
            teams=[team_preventers],
        )
        hero_spider_boy = Hero(
            name="Spider-Boy", secret_name="Pedro Parqueador", teams=[team_preventers]
        )
        session.add(hero_deadpond)
        session.add(hero_rusty_man)
        session.add(hero_spider_boy)
        session.commit()

        session.refresh(hero_deadpond)
        session.refresh(hero_rusty_man)
        session.refresh(hero_spider_boy)

        print("Deadpond:", hero_deadpond)
        print("Deadpond teams:", hero_deadpond.teams)
        print("Rusty-Man:", hero_rusty_man)
        print("Rusty-Man Teams:", hero_rusty_man.teams)
        print("Spider-Boy:", hero_spider_boy)
        print("Spider-Boy Teams:", hero_spider_boy.teams)


def main():
    create_db_and_tables()
    create_heroes()


if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()

The relationship attribute heroes is still a list of heroes, annotated as list["Hero"]. Again, we use "Hero" in quotes because we haven't declared that class yet by this point in the code (but as you know, editors and SQLModel understand that).

We use the same Relationship() function.

We use back_populates="teams". Before we referenced an attribute team, but as now we can have many, we'll rename it to teams when creating the Hero model.

And here's the important part to allow the many-to-many relationship, we use link_model=HeroTeamLink. That's it.

Hero Model

Let's see the other side, here's the Hero model:

Python 3.10+
# Code above omitted 

class Hero(SQLModel, table=True):
    id: int | None = Field(default=None, primary_key=True)
    name: str = Field(index=True)
    secret_name: str
    age: int | None = Field(default=None, index=True)

    teams: list[Team] = Relationship(back_populates="heroes", link_model=HeroTeamLink)

# Code below omitted
Full file preview
Python 3.10+
from sqlmodel import Field, Relationship, Session, SQLModel, create_engine


class HeroTeamLink(SQLModel, table=True):
    team_id: int | None = Field(default=None, foreign_key="team.id", primary_key=True)
    hero_id: int | None = Field(default=None, foreign_key="hero.id", primary_key=True)


class Team(SQLModel, table=True):
    id: int | None = Field(default=None, primary_key=True)
    name: str = Field(index=True)
    headquarters: str

    heroes: list["Hero"] = Relationship(back_populates="teams", link_model=HeroTeamLink)


class Hero(SQLModel, table=True):
    id: int | None = Field(default=None, primary_key=True)
    name: str = Field(index=True)
    secret_name: str
    age: int | None = Field(default=None, index=True)

    teams: list[Team] = Relationship(back_populates="heroes", link_model=HeroTeamLink)


sqlite_file_name = "database.db"
sqlite_url = f"sqlite:///{sqlite_file_name}"

engine = create_engine(sqlite_url, echo=True)


def create_db_and_tables():
    SQLModel.metadata.create_all(engine)


def create_heroes():
    with Session(engine) as session:
        team_preventers = Team(name="Preventers", headquarters="Sharp Tower")
        team_z_force = Team(name="Z-Force", headquarters="Sister Margaret's Bar")

        hero_deadpond = Hero(
            name="Deadpond",
            secret_name="Dive Wilson",
            teams=[team_z_force, team_preventers],
        )
        hero_rusty_man = Hero(
            name="Rusty-Man",
            secret_name="Tommy Sharp",
            age=48,
            teams=[team_preventers],
        )
        hero_spider_boy = Hero(
            name="Spider-Boy", secret_name="Pedro Parqueador", teams=[team_preventers]
        )
        session.add(hero_deadpond)
        session.add(hero_rusty_man)
        session.add(hero_spider_boy)
        session.commit()

        session.refresh(hero_deadpond)
        session.refresh(hero_rusty_man)
        session.refresh(hero_spider_boy)

        print("Deadpond:", hero_deadpond)
        print("Deadpond teams:", hero_deadpond.teams)
        print("Rusty-Man:", hero_rusty_man)
        print("Rusty-Man Teams:", hero_rusty_man.teams)
        print("Spider-Boy:", hero_spider_boy)
        print("Spider-Boy Teams:", hero_spider_boy.teams)


def main():
    create_db_and_tables()
    create_heroes()


if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()

We removed the previous team_id field (column) because now the relationship is done via the link table.

The relationship attribute is now named teams instead of team, as now we support multiple teams.

It no longer has a type of Team | None but a list of teams, the type is now declared as list[Team].

We are using the Relationship() here too.

We still have back_populates="heroes" as before.

And now we have a link_model=HeroTeamLink.

Create the Tables

The same as before, we will have the rest of the code to create the engine, and a function to create all the tables create_db_and_tables().

Python 3.10+
# Code above omitted 

sqlite_file_name = "database.db"
sqlite_url = f"sqlite:///{sqlite_file_name}"

engine = create_engine(sqlite_url, echo=True)


def create_db_and_tables():
    SQLModel.metadata.create_all(engine)

# Code below omitted
Full file preview
Python 3.10+
from sqlmodel import Field, Relationship, Session, SQLModel, create_engine


class HeroTeamLink(SQLModel, table=True):
    team_id: int | None = Field(default=None, foreign_key="team.id", primary_key=True)
    hero_id: int | None = Field(default=None, foreign_key="hero.id", primary_key=True)


class Team(SQLModel, table=True):
    id: int | None = Field(default=None, primary_key=True)
    name: str = Field(index=True)
    headquarters: str

    heroes: list["Hero"] = Relationship(back_populates="teams", link_model=HeroTeamLink)


class Hero(SQLModel, table=True):
    id: int | None = Field(default=None, primary_key=True)
    name: str = Field(index=True)
    secret_name: str
    age: int | None = Field(default=None, index=True)

    teams: list[Team] = Relationship(back_populates="heroes", link_model=HeroTeamLink)


sqlite_file_name = "database.db"
sqlite_url = f"sqlite:///{sqlite_file_name}"

engine = create_engine(sqlite_url, echo=True)


def create_db_and_tables():
    SQLModel.metadata.create_all(engine)


def create_heroes():
    with Session(engine) as session:
        team_preventers = Team(name="Preventers", headquarters="Sharp Tower")
        team_z_force = Team(name="Z-Force", headquarters="Sister Margaret's Bar")

        hero_deadpond = Hero(
            name="Deadpond",
            secret_name="Dive Wilson",
            teams=[team_z_force, team_preventers],
        )
        hero_rusty_man = Hero(
            name="Rusty-Man",
            secret_name="Tommy Sharp",
            age=48,
            teams=[team_preventers],
        )
        hero_spider_boy = Hero(
            name="Spider-Boy", secret_name="Pedro Parqueador", teams=[team_preventers]
        )
        session.add(hero_deadpond)
        session.add(hero_rusty_man)
        session.add(hero_spider_boy)
        session.commit()

        session.refresh(hero_deadpond)
        session.refresh(hero_rusty_man)
        session.refresh(hero_spider_boy)

        print("Deadpond:", hero_deadpond)
        print("Deadpond teams:", hero_deadpond.teams)
        print("Rusty-Man:", hero_rusty_man)
        print("Rusty-Man Teams:", hero_rusty_man.teams)
        print("Spider-Boy:", hero_spider_boy)
        print("Spider-Boy Teams:", hero_spider_boy.teams)


def main():
    create_db_and_tables()
    create_heroes()


if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()

And as in previous examples, we will add that function to a function main(), and we will call that main() function in the main block:

Python 3.10+
# Code above omitted 

def main():
    create_db_and_tables()

# Code here omitted 

if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()
Full file preview
Python 3.10+
from sqlmodel import Field, Relationship, Session, SQLModel, create_engine


class HeroTeamLink(SQLModel, table=True):
    team_id: int | None = Field(default=None, foreign_key="team.id", primary_key=True)
    hero_id: int | None = Field(default=None, foreign_key="hero.id", primary_key=True)


class Team(SQLModel, table=True):
    id: int | None = Field(default=None, primary_key=True)
    name: str = Field(index=True)
    headquarters: str

    heroes: list["Hero"] = Relationship(back_populates="teams", link_model=HeroTeamLink)


class Hero(SQLModel, table=True):
    id: int | None = Field(default=None, primary_key=True)
    name: str = Field(index=True)
    secret_name: str
    age: int | None = Field(default=None, index=True)

    teams: list[Team] = Relationship(back_populates="heroes", link_model=HeroTeamLink)


sqlite_file_name = "database.db"
sqlite_url = f"sqlite:///{sqlite_file_name}"

engine = create_engine(sqlite_url, echo=True)


def create_db_and_tables():
    SQLModel.metadata.create_all(engine)


def create_heroes():
    with Session(engine) as session:
        team_preventers = Team(name="Preventers", headquarters="Sharp Tower")
        team_z_force = Team(name="Z-Force", headquarters="Sister Margaret's Bar")

        hero_deadpond = Hero(
            name="Deadpond",
            secret_name="Dive Wilson",
            teams=[team_z_force, team_preventers],
        )
        hero_rusty_man = Hero(
            name="Rusty-Man",
            secret_name="Tommy Sharp",
            age=48,
            teams=[team_preventers],
        )
        hero_spider_boy = Hero(
            name="Spider-Boy", secret_name="Pedro Parqueador", teams=[team_preventers]
        )
        session.add(hero_deadpond)
        session.add(hero_rusty_man)
        session.add(hero_spider_boy)
        session.commit()

        session.refresh(hero_deadpond)
        session.refresh(hero_rusty_man)
        session.refresh(hero_spider_boy)

        print("Deadpond:", hero_deadpond)
        print("Deadpond teams:", hero_deadpond.teams)
        print("Rusty-Man:", hero_rusty_man)
        print("Rusty-Man Teams:", hero_rusty_man.teams)
        print("Spider-Boy:", hero_spider_boy)
        print("Spider-Boy Teams:", hero_spider_boy.teams)


def main():
    create_db_and_tables()
    create_heroes()


if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()

Run the Code

If you run the code in the command line, it would output:

$ python app.py

// Boilerplate omitted 

INFO Engine
CREATE TABLE team (
        id INTEGER,
        name VARCHAR NOT NULL,
        headquarters VARCHAR NOT NULL,
        PRIMARY KEY (id)
)


INFO Engine [no key 0.00033s] ()
INFO Engine
CREATE TABLE hero (
        id INTEGER,
        name VARCHAR NOT NULL,
        secret_name VARCHAR NOT NULL,
        age INTEGER,
        PRIMARY KEY (id)
)


INFO Engine [no key 0.00016s] ()
INFO Engine

// Our shinny new link table 
CREATE TABLE heroteamlink (
        team_id INTEGER,
        hero_id INTEGER,
        PRIMARY KEY (team_id, hero_id),
        FOREIGN KEY(team_id) REFERENCES team (id),
        FOREIGN KEY(hero_id) REFERENCES hero (id)
)


INFO Engine [no key 0.00031s] ()
INFO Engine COMMIT

Recap

We can support many-to-many relationships between tables by declaring a link table.

We can create it the same way as with other SQLModel classes, and then use it in the link_model parameter to Relationship().

Now let's work with data using these models in the next chapters.

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Many to Many - Intro
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Create Data with Many-to-Many Relationships
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