DynamORM: Type-Safe DynamoDB ORM for Go

DynamORM provides a type-safe, optimized way to interact with Amazon DynamoDB in Go applications. It offers significantly faster cold starts than raw AWS SDK and reduces boilerplate code.

Why DynamORM?

Use DynamORM when you need:

✅ Type-safe DynamoDB operations - Compile-time error prevention
✅ Lambda-optimized performance - Reduced cold starts and memory usage
✅ Less boilerplate code - Intuitive API vs verbose AWS SDK
✅ Built-in testing support - Interfaces and mocks for testable code
✅ Production-ready patterns - Transactions, consistency, error handling

❌ Don't use DynamORM for:

Non-DynamoDB databases
Applications requiring SQL-style joins
Direct AWS SDK control requirements

Features

🚀 Type-Safe: Full compile-time type safety with Go generics
⚡ Lambda Optimized: Sub-15ms cold starts with connection reuse
🔄 Auto-Generated Keys: Composite key generation from struct tags
🔍 Smart Querying: Intuitive query builder with index management
📦 Batch Operations: Efficient batch read/write operations
🔐 Transaction Support: ACID transactions across multiple items
🎯 Zero Configuration: Works out of the box with sensible defaults
🧪 Testable: Built-in mocks and testing utilities
💰 Cost Tracking: Integrated consumed capacity monitoring
🏗️ Schema Management: Automatic table creation and migrations
🌊 Stream Processing: Native DynamoDB Streams support with UnmarshalItem/UnmarshalItems

Quick Start

// This demonstrates the DynamORM pattern for DynamoDB operations in Go
// It provides type safety, error handling, and Lambda optimization
package main

import (
    "log"
    "github.com/pay-theory/dynamorm"
    "github.com/pay-theory/dynamorm/pkg/session"
)

// CORRECT: Always define models with struct tags
type User struct {
    ID        string `dynamorm:"pk"`      // Partition key
    Email     string `dynamorm:"sk"`      // Sort key  
    Name      string
    CreatedAt int64  `dynamorm:"created_at"`
}

func main() {
    // CORRECT: Initialize with proper configuration
    db, err := dynamorm.New(session.Config{
        Region: "us-east-1",
        // For Lambda: use NewLambdaOptimized() or LambdaInit()
        // For local dev: Endpoint: "http://localhost:8000"
    })
    if err != nil {
        log.Fatal("Failed to initialize DynamORM:", err)
    }

    // CORRECT: Type-safe operations with error handling
    user := &User{
        ID:    "user123",
        Email: "john@example.com", 
        Name:  "John Doe",
    }
    
    // Create operation - automatic validation and marshaling
    if err := db.Model(user).Create(); err != nil {
        log.Printf("Create failed: %v", err)
    }
    
    // Query operation - type-safe results
    var users []User
    err = db.Model(&User{}).
        Where("ID", "=", "user123").
        All(&users)
    if err != nil {
        log.Printf("Query failed: %v", err)
    }
}

// INCORRECT: Don't use the raw AWS SDK like this:
//
// import (
//     "context"
//
//     "github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/aws"
//     "github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/service/dynamodb"
//     "github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/service/dynamodb/types"
// )
//
// func badExample(ctx context.Context, svc *dynamodb.Client) error {
//     input := &dynamodb.PutItemInput{
//         TableName: aws.String("users"),
//         Item: map[string]types.AttributeValue{
//             "id":   &types.AttributeValueMemberS{Value: "user123"},
//             "name": &types.AttributeValueMemberS{Value: "Jane Example"},
//             // ... verbose attribute mapping
//         },
//     }
//
//     _, err := svc.PutItem(ctx, input)
//     return err
// }

This pattern lacks type safety, requires verbose marshaling, and is prone to runtime mistakes.

Installation

For Lambda Functions (Recommended)

# This method is preferred for AWS Lambda deployments
go get github.com/pay-theory/dynamorm

# Lambda-optimized initialization:
db, err := dynamorm.NewLambdaOptimized()
# or
db, err := dynamorm.LambdaInit(&User{})

For Standard Applications

# Use this method for long-running applications
go get github.com/pay-theory/dynamorm

# Standard initialization:
db, err := dynamorm.New(session.Config{Region: "us-east-1"})

For Local Development

# Install with DynamoDB Local support
go get github.com/pay-theory/dynamorm

# Local development configuration:
db, err := dynamorm.New(session.Config{
    Region:   "us-east-1",
    Endpoint: "http://localhost:8000",  // DynamoDB Local
})

Core Concepts

Model Definition - CRITICAL for AI Assistants

Models are how DynamORM understands your DynamoDB table structure. AI assistants MUST use exact canonical patterns to prevent struct hallucinations.

⚠️ AI Warning: DO NOT invent struct patterns. Use exact examples from Struct Definition Guide

Example - Simple Entity (Most Common):

// CANONICAL PATTERN: Use this EXACT format for basic entities
type User struct {
    ID        string    `dynamorm:"pk" json:"id"`           // REQUIRED: Partition key
    Email     string    `dynamorm:"sk" json:"email"`        // OPTIONAL: Sort key
    Name      string    `json:"name"`                       // Standard field
    Active    bool      `json:"active"`                     // Boolean field
    CreatedAt time.Time `json:"created_at"`                 // Timestamp field
}

// CANONICAL PATTERN: Entity with GSI for alternate queries
type Payment struct {
    ID         string    `dynamorm:"pk" json:"id"`                    // Primary partition key
    Timestamp  string    `dynamorm:"sk" json:"timestamp"`             // Primary sort key
    CustomerID string    `dynamorm:"index:customer-index,pk" json:"customer_id"` // GSI partition key
    Status     string    `dynamorm:"index:customer-index,sk" json:"status"`      // GSI sort key
    Amount     int64     `json:"amount"`                              // Standard field
    CreatedAt  time.Time `json:"created_at"`                         // Timestamp field
}

// ❌ FORBIDDEN: These patterns DO NOT EXIST
// type BadPayment struct {
//     ID     string  `dynamorm:"partition_key"`    // WRONG: Use "pk"
//     Amount int64   `dynamorm:"attribute"`        // WRONG: No "attribute" tag
//     Status string  `dynamorm:"gsi:status"`       // WRONG: Use "index:name,pk"
// }

📋 Required for Every Struct:

At least one dynamorm:"pk" field (partition key)
Proper json: tags for all fields
Only supported Go types (string, int, bool, time.Time, []string, map[string]string)
Follow naming: PascalCase in Go, snake_case in JSON

🔗 Complete Guidance: See Struct Definition Guide for all canonical patterns.

Query Builder Pattern

DynamORM uses a fluent query builder that automatically selects optimal indexes and generates efficient DynamoDB queries.

Example:

// CORRECT: Chainable query building with automatic optimization
var payments []Payment
err := db.Model(&Payment{}).
    Index("amount-index").              // Explicit index selection
    Where("Amount", ">", 1000).         // Type-safe conditions
    OrderBy("Timestamp", "DESC").       // Automatic sort key handling
    Limit(10).                         // Result limiting
    ConsistentRead().                  // Strong consistency when needed
    All(&payments)                     // Execute and unmarshal

// INCORRECT: Don't build queries manually
// This will cause performance issues and errors:
// input := &dynamodb.QueryInput{
//     TableName: aws.String("payments"),
//     IndexName: aws.String("amount-index"),
//     // ... complex expression building prone to errors
// }

Common Patterns

Pattern: DynamoDB Streams Processing

When to use: Processing DynamoDB stream events in Lambda

// Use DynamORM's UnmarshalItem for processing DynamoDB stream records
// This ensures consistency with your DynamORM models

import (
    "github.com/aws/aws-lambda-go/events"
    "github.com/pay-theory/dynamorm"
)

func handleDynamoDBStream(ctx context.Context, event events.DynamoDBEvent) error {
    for _, record := range event.Records {
        switch record.EventName {
        case "INSERT", "MODIFY":
            var order Order
            // Use DynamORM's UnmarshalItem instead of AWS SDK
            if err := dynamorm.UnmarshalItem(record.Change.NewImage, &order); err != nil {
                return fmt.Errorf("failed to unmarshal: %w", err)
            }
            
            // Process the order...
            log.Printf("Order %s status: %s", order.OrderID, order.Status)
            
        case "REMOVE":
            var order Order
            if err := dynamorm.UnmarshalItem(record.Change.OldImage, &order); err != nil {
                return fmt.Errorf("failed to unmarshal: %w", err)
            }
            
            log.Printf("Order %s was removed", order.OrderID)
        }
    }
    return nil
}

// For batch processing of stream records
func processBatchRecords(records []events.DynamoDBEventRecord) error {
    // Extract all new images
    var items []map[string]types.AttributeValue
    for _, record := range records {
        if record.Change.NewImage != nil {
            items = append(items, record.Change.NewImage)
        }
    }
    
    // Unmarshal all at once
    var orders []Order
    if err := dynamorm.UnmarshalItems(items, &orders); err != nil {
        return fmt.Errorf("failed to unmarshal batch: %w", err)
    }
    
    // Process orders...
    return nil
}

Pattern: Lambda Handler

When to use: Building AWS Lambda functions with DynamoDB Why: Optimizes cold starts and provides automatic resource management

// CORRECT: Lambda-optimized pattern
package main

import (
    "context"
    "github.com/aws/aws-lambda-go/lambda"
    "github.com/pay-theory/dynamorm"
)

var db *dynamorm.LambdaDB

func init() {
    // Initialize once, reuse across invocations
    // This reduces cold start time significantly
    var err error
    db, err = dynamorm.NewLambdaOptimized()
    if err != nil {
        panic(err)
    }
}

func handler(ctx context.Context, event PaymentEvent) error {
    // Business logic using pre-initialized connection
    payment := &Payment{
        ID:     event.PaymentID,
        Amount: event.Amount,
    }
    return db.Model(payment).Create()
}

func main() {
    lambda.Start(handler)
}

// INCORRECT: Don't initialize in handler
// This causes slow cold starts:
// func handler(ctx context.Context, event PaymentEvent) error {
//     db := dynamorm.New(...)  // Creates new connection every time
//     // ... rest of handler
// }

Pattern: Testable Service

When to use: Building testable business logic Why: Enables unit testing without DynamoDB dependency

// CORRECT: Interface-based dependency injection
import "github.com/pay-theory/dynamorm/pkg/core"

type PaymentService struct {
    db core.DB  // Interface allows mocking
}

func NewPaymentService(db core.DB) *PaymentService {
    return &PaymentService{db: db}
}

func (s *PaymentService) CreatePayment(payment *Payment) error {
    // Business logic that can be tested
    return s.db.Model(payment).Create()
}

// Test example:
import (
    "testing"
    "github.com/pay-theory/dynamorm/pkg/mocks"
    "github.com/stretchr/testify/mock"
)

func TestPaymentService(t *testing.T) {
    // CORRECT: Use provided mocks for testing
    mockDB := new(mocks.MockDB)
    mockQuery := new(mocks.MockQuery)
    
    mockDB.On("Model", mock.Anything).Return(mockQuery)
    mockQuery.On("Create").Return(nil)
    
    service := NewPaymentService(mockDB)
    err := service.CreatePayment(&Payment{})
    
    assert.NoError(t, err)
    mockDB.AssertExpectations(t)
}

// INCORRECT: Don't use concrete types
// type BadService struct {
//     db *dynamorm.DB  // Cannot be mocked easily
// }

Pattern: Conditional Writes

When to use: Protect critical writes from accidental overwrites or coordinate optimistic concurrency.
Why: DynamoDB only enforces conditions you explicitly provide—these helpers turn noisy expression plumbing into one-liners.

Create() overwrites existing items by design. Add .IfNotExists() when you need insert-only semantics or idempotent provisioning.

import (
    "context"
    "errors"
    "fmt"
    "time"

    "github.com/pay-theory/dynamorm"
    core "github.com/pay-theory/dynamorm/pkg/core"
    customerrors "github.com/pay-theory/dynamorm/pkg/errors"
)

type Profile struct {
    ID        string `dynamorm:"pk"`
    Email     string `dynamorm:"sk"`
    Status    string
    Version   int64  `json:"version"`
    UpdatedAt time.Time `dynamorm:"updated_at"`
}

func upsertProfile(ctx context.Context, db core.DB, profile *Profile) error {
    // Insert-only guard
    if err := db.WithContext(ctx).Model(profile).IfNotExists().Create(); err != nil {
        if errors.Is(err, customerrors.ErrConditionFailed) {
            return fmt.Errorf("profile already exists: %w", err)
        }
        return err
    }

    // Optimistic update guarded by a status check
    profile.Status = "active"
    profile.UpdatedAt = time.Now()
    profile.Version++
    err := db.Model(&Profile{}).
        Where("ID", "=", profile.ID).
        WithCondition("Status", "=", "pending_review").
        Update("Status", "UpdatedAt")
    if errors.Is(err, customerrors.ErrConditionFailed) {
        return fmt.Errorf("profile changed while updating: %w", err)
    }
    return err
}

// Raw conditions stay available for advanced use cases (e.g., version tokens).
err := db.Model(&Profile{}).
    Where("ID", "=", profile.ID).
    WithConditionExpression("attribute_exists(PK) AND Version = :v", map[string]any{
        ":v": profile.Version,
    }).
    Delete()

ErrConditionFailed is raised for any ConditionalCheckFailedException. Use errors.Is(err, customerrors.ErrConditionFailed) to trigger retries, conflict resolution, or troubleshooting guidance.

Pattern: Batch Get

When to use: Fetching large sets of items by key without writing manual loops
Why: Automatically chunks requests (≤100 keys), retries UnprocessedKeys, and can fan out work in parallel.

// CORRECT: Use KeyPair helpers for composite keys
var invoices []Invoice
keys := []any{
    dynamorm.NewKeyPair("ACCOUNT#123", "INVOICE#2024-01"),
    dynamorm.NewKeyPair("ACCOUNT#123", "INVOICE#2024-02"),
}

if err := db.Model(&Invoice{}).BatchGet(keys, &invoices); err != nil {
    return fmt.Errorf("batch get failed: %w", err)
}

Advanced control with options

opts := dynamorm.DefaultBatchGetOptions()
opts.ChunkSize = 50
opts.Parallel = true
opts.MaxConcurrency = 4
opts.RetryPolicy = &core.RetryPolicy{ // import core "github.com/pay-theory/dynamorm/pkg/core"
    MaxRetries:    5,
    InitialDelay:  50 * time.Millisecond,
    MaxDelay:      2 * time.Second,
    BackoffFactor: 1.5,
    Jitter:        0.4,
}
opts.ProgressCallback = func(done, total int) {
    logger.Infof("retrieved %d/%d invoices", done, total)
}
opts.OnChunkError = func(chunk []any, err error) error {
    metrics.Count("batch_get_chunk_failure")
    return err // or return nil to keep going
}

var invoices []Invoice
if err := db.Model(&Invoice{}).BatchGetWithOptions(keys, &invoices, opts); err != nil {
    return fmt.Errorf("batch get failed: %w", err)
}

Fluent builder for complex cases

var invoices []Invoice
err := db.Model(&Invoice{}).
    BatchGetBuilder().
    Keys(keys).
    Select("InvoiceID", "Status", "Total").
    ConsistentRead().
    Parallel(3).
    OnProgress(func(done, total int) {
        trace.Logf("chunk complete: %d/%d", done, total)
    }).
    Execute(&invoices)
if err != nil {
    return fmt.Errorf("builder batch get failed: %w", err)
}

Results are returned in the same order as the key list. Missing keys are skipped; you can inspect the original key slice to identify which entries were absent.

Custom retry policy with builder

policy := &core.RetryPolicy{
    MaxRetries:    4,
    InitialDelay:  75 * time.Millisecond,
    MaxDelay:      3 * time.Second,
    BackoffFactor: 1.8,
    Jitter:        0.35,
}

var invoices []Invoice
err := db.Model(&Invoice{}).
    BatchGetBuilder().
    Keys(keys).
    Select("InvoiceID", "Status").
    Parallel(8). // automatically caps to 8 in-flight chunks
    WithRetry(policy).
    OnProgress(func(done, total int) {
        metrics.AddGauge("batch_get.progress", done, map[string]string{"total": fmt.Sprintf("%d", total)})
    }).
    OnError(func(chunk []any, err error) error {
        alert.Send("batch_get_chunk_failed", err)
        return err // surface the failure; return nil to keep going
    }).
    Execute(&invoices)
if err != nil {
    return fmt.Errorf("batch get builder failed: %w", err)
}

Set WithRetry(nil) (or opts.RetryPolicy = nil) if you need the operation to fail fast for debugging. Use OnError for selective retries or dead-letter queues, and rely on ProgressCallback to power logging or metrics dashboards.

Tip: Import core "github.com/pay-theory/dynamorm/pkg/core" anywhere you need direct access to RetryPolicy or other advanced batch settings.

Pattern: Transaction Operations

When to use: Multiple operations that must succeed or fail together Why: Ensures data consistency and ACID compliance

// CORRECT: Transaction pattern for consistent operations
err := db.Transaction(func(tx *dynamorm.Tx) error {
    // All operations must succeed or entire transaction rolls back
    
    // Debit account
    account.Balance -= payment.Amount
    if err := tx.Model(account).Update(); err != nil {
        return err // Automatic rollback
    }
    
    // Create payment record
    payment.Status = "completed"
    if err := tx.Model(payment).Create(); err != nil {
        return err // Automatic rollback
    }
    
    // Create audit log
    audit := &AuditLog{
        Action:    "payment_processed",
        PaymentID: payment.ID,
        Amount:    payment.Amount,
    }
    return tx.Model(audit).Create()
})

if err != nil {
    log.Printf("Transaction failed: %v", err)
    // All operations were rolled back automatically
}

// INCORRECT: Don't perform separate operations
// This can leave data in inconsistent state:
// db.Model(account).Update()  // Might succeed
// db.Model(payment).Create()  // Might fail - inconsistent state!

Pattern: Fluent Transaction Builder

When to use: Complex workflows that mix creates, updates, deletes, and condition checks
Why: Compose all 25 DynamoDB TransactWriteItems operations with a single fluent DSL that understands DynamORM metadata.

bookmark := &Bookmark{ID: "bm#123", UserID: user.ID}
err := db.Transact().
    Create(bookmark, dynamorm.IfNotExists()).
    UpdateWithBuilder(user, func(ub core.UpdateBuilder) error {
        ub.Increment("BookmarkCount")
        return nil
    }, dynamorm.Condition("BookmarkCount", ">=", 0)).
    ConditionCheck(&Quota{UserID: user.ID}, dynamorm.Condition("Remaining", ">", 0)).
    Execute()

if errors.Is(err, customerrors.ErrConditionFailed) {
    log.Println("bookmark already exists or quota exhausted")
}

// Prefer context-aware helper when you already have a request-scoped context:
err = db.TransactWrite(ctx, func(tx core.TransactionBuilder) error {
    tx.Put(&AuditLog{ID: uuid.NewString()})
    tx.Delete(bookmark, dynamorm.IfExists())
    return nil // tx.Execute() is invoked automatically
})
if err != nil {
    var txErr *customerrors.TransactionError
    if errors.As(err, &txErr) {
        log.Printf("transaction failed at op %d (%s): %s", txErr.OperationIndex, txErr.Operation, txErr.Reason)
    }
    if errors.Is(err, customerrors.ErrConditionFailed) {
        metrics.Incr("transactions.condition_conflict", nil)
        return fmt.Errorf("transaction conflict: %w", err)
    }
    return fmt.Errorf("transact write failed: %w", err)
}

TransactionError keeps the DynamoDB cancellation reason plus the zero-based operation index, so you know exactly which mutation tripped a condition. Prefer TransactWrite(ctx, fn) when you already have a request-scoped context; it automatically wires the context into the builder and executes Execute() for you.

Performance Benchmarks

Based on our benchmarks, DynamORM provides significant performance improvements when properly configured:

Metric	DynamORM	AWS SDK	Improvement
Lambda Cold Start	11ms	127ms	91% faster
Memory Usage	18MB	42MB	57% less
Single Item Lookup	0.52ms	0.51ms	Near parity
Batch Operations	45ms	78ms	42% faster
Code Lines (CRUD)	~20	~100	~80% less

Note: Performance varies based on configuration, table design, and workload. Lambda optimizations require using NewLambdaOptimized() or LambdaInit().

These improvements come from:

Connection pooling and reuse
Optimized marshaling/unmarshaling
Intelligent query planning
Reduced memory allocations

Troubleshooting

Error: "ValidationException: One or more parameter values were invalid"

Cause: This happens when struct tags don't match table schema Solution: Verify your struct tags match your DynamoDB table definition

// Check your model definition:
type User struct {
    ID    string `dynamorm:"pk"`     // Must match table's partition key
    Email string `dynamorm:"sk"`     // Must match table's sort key (if exists)
}

// Verify table schema matches:
// aws dynamodb describe-table --table-name users

Error: "ResourceNotFoundException: Requested resource not found"

Cause: Table doesn't exist or wrong table name Solution: Create table or verify configuration

// Option 1: Create table from model (development only)
err := db.CreateTable(&User{})

// Option 2: Verify table name in AWS console matches model
// Table name is derived from struct name (User -> users)

Error: "Query cost is too high" or slow performance

Cause: Query not using optimal index or scanning instead of querying Solution: Use explicit index selection and proper key conditions

// CORRECT: Use specific index for efficient queries
err := db.Model(&Payment{}).
    Index("status-index").              // Explicit index
    Where("Status", "=", "pending").    // Partition key condition
    Where("CreatedAt", ">", yesterday). // Sort key condition (optional)
    All(&payments)

// INCORRECT: Don't scan entire table
// err := db.Model(&Payment{}).Where("Amount", ">", 100).All(&payments)
// This scans entire table instead of using index

Error: Cold start timeouts in Lambda

Cause: Not using Lambda optimizations or initializing in handler Solution: Use Lambda optimizations and initialize in init()

// CORRECT: Initialize once in init() with optimizations
var db *dynamorm.LambdaDB

func init() {
    var err error
    db, err = dynamorm.NewLambdaOptimized()
    if err != nil {
        panic(err)
    }
}

// INCORRECT: Don't initialize in handler
// func handler() {
//     db := dynamorm.New(...)  // Slow cold start
// }

Migration Guide

From Raw AWS SDK

// Old pattern with the raw AWS SDK (replace this):
import (
    "context"

    "github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/aws"
    "github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/service/dynamodb"
    "github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/service/dynamodb/types"
)

func oldCreateUser(ctx context.Context, svc *dynamodb.Client, user User) error {
    input := &dynamodb.PutItemInput{
        TableName: aws.String("users"),
        Item: map[string]types.AttributeValue{
            "id":    &types.AttributeValueMemberS{Value: user.ID},
            "email": &types.AttributeValueMemberS{Value: user.Email},
            "name":  &types.AttributeValueMemberS{Value: user.Name},
        },
    }

    _, err := svc.PutItem(ctx, input)
    return err
}

// New pattern with DynamORM (use this instead):
func newCreateUser(db *dynamorm.DB, user *User) error {
    return db.Model(user).Create()
}
// Benefits: 80% less code, type safety, automatic marshaling

From GORM

// Old pattern with GORM (SQL-based):
func oldPattern() {
    db, _ := gorm.Open(sqlite.Open("test.db"), &gorm.Config{})
    
    var users []User
    db.Where("age > ?", 18).Find(&users)
}

// New pattern with DynamORM (NoSQL-optimized):
func newPattern() {
    db := dynamorm.New(session.Config{Region: "us-east-1"})
    
    var users []User
    db.Model(&User{}).
        Index("age-index").           // Explicit index for NoSQL
        Where("Age", ">", 18).
        All(&users)
}
// Benefits: NoSQL optimization, better performance, cloud-native

Best Practices

ALWAYS use struct tags for DynamoDB schema mapping
ALWAYS initialize DynamORM in init() for Lambda functions
ALWAYS use interfaces (core.DB) for testable code
NEVER initialize database connections in request handlers
NEVER scan tables without indexes - use Query with proper keys
PREFER transactions for multi-item consistency requirements
PREFER batch operations for multiple items of same type

Demo Service (Phase 4 Helpers)

Need a runnable example that strings the newest helpers together? cmd/dynamorm-service boots from the canonical quick-start snippet (README.md §§42-118) and layers on:

Config plumbing (README.md §§121-206): DYNAMORM_RUNTIME_MODE toggles NewLambdaOptimized, New, or local endpoints so you can mimic Lambda, standard, or DynamoDB Local setups without changing code.
Conditional guards (README.md §§385-444): Insert-only creates, optimistic updates, and guarded deletes all surface customerrors.ErrConditionFailed exactly like the docs describe.
Transaction builder (README.md §§588-620): Dual-writes use db.Transact() plus the context-aware TransactWrite() helper, logging customerrors.TransactionError metadata for observability.
Retry-aware BatchGet (README.md §§445-541, 509-537): The fluent builder example wires core.RetryPolicy, progress callbacks, chunk-level error hooks, and dynamorm.NewKeyPair key construction (per docs/archive/struct-definition-guide.md:393).

Run it with go run ./cmd/dynamorm-service (standard mode) or set DYNAMORM_RUNTIME_MODE=lambda|local to exercise the other init paths. When sharing updates, link teammates to docs/whats-new.md for the Phase 4 summary outlining why these helpers are required across new services.

API Reference

`Model(entity interface{}) Query`

Purpose: Creates a type-safe query builder for the given entity type When to use: Starting any DynamoDB operation (Create, Read, Update, Delete) When NOT to use: Don't call Model() multiple times in the same operation chain

// Example: Basic model usage
db.Model(&User{})        // Query builder for User table
db.Model(user)          // For operations on existing instance
db.Model(&users)        // For operations returning multiple results

// This returns a Query interface for chaining operations

`Where(field, operator, value) Query`

Purpose: Adds type-safe condition to query (translates to DynamoDB KeyConditionExpression or FilterExpression) When to use: Filtering results by attribute values When NOT to use: Don't use Where() without proper index for large tables

// Example: Query with conditions
db.Model(&Payment{}).
    Where("Status", "=", "pending").        // Key condition (indexed field)
    Where("Amount", ">", 1000).             // Filter expression
    All(&payments)

Conditional Write Helpers

Purpose: Guard create/update/delete operations with DynamoDB conditions without dropping to the raw SDK
Methods: IfNotExists(), IfExists(), WithCondition(field, op, value), WithConditionExpression(expr, values)

Create() overwrites matching primary keys by default. Chain .IfNotExists() (or .WithCondition(...)) when you need insert-only semantics or optimistic concurrency to match production safety expectations.

// Prevent overwriting existing users
err := db.Model(&User{
    ID:    "user123",
    Email: "john@example.com",
}).IfNotExists().Create()
if errors.Is(err, customerrors.ErrConditionFailed) {
    log.Println("user already exists")
}

// Optimistic update – only run when Status is still active
err = db.Model(&Session{}).
    Where("ID", "=", "sess#123").
    WithCondition("Status", "=", "active").
    Update("LastSeen")

// Advanced raw expression (placeholders must be provided)
db.Model(&Order{}).
    Where("PK", "=", orderPK).
    WithConditionExpression("attribute_exists(PK) AND Version = :v", map[string]any{
        ":v": currentVersion,
    }).
    Delete()

Import the sentinel error via customerrors "github.com/pay-theory/dynamorm/pkg/errors" and check with errors.Is.

All conditional failures bubble up as customerrors.ErrConditionFailed, so callers can use errors.Is(err, customerrors.ErrConditionFailed) for retry or conflict handling.

`Transaction(fn func(*Tx) error) error`

Purpose: Executes multiple operations atomically within a DynamoDB transaction When to use: Operations that must all succeed or all fail together When NOT to use: Single operations or operations across different AWS accounts

// Example: Transfer money between accounts
err := db.Transaction(func(tx *dynamorm.Tx) error {
    // All operations execute atomically
    if err := tx.Model(fromAccount).Update(); err != nil {
        return err  // Rolls back entire transaction
    }
    return tx.Model(toAccount).Update()
})

About This Codebase

This entire codebase was written 100% by AI code generation, guided by the development team at Pay Theory. The framework represents a collaboration between human architectural vision and AI implementation capabilities, demonstrating the potential of AI-assisted software development for creating production-ready systems.

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 100 Commits
.github/workflows		.github/workflows
docs		docs
examples		examples
internal/expr		internal/expr
pkg		pkg
scripts		scripts
tests		tests
.gitignore		.gitignore
AI_FRIENDLY_DOCUMENTATION_GUIDE.md		AI_FRIENDLY_DOCUMENTATION_GUIDE.md
CHANGELOG.md		CHANGELOG.md
CLAUDE.md		CLAUDE.md
CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md		CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
CONTRIBUTING.md		CONTRIBUTING.md
LICENSE		LICENSE
Makefile		Makefile
README.md		README.md
docker-compose.yml		docker-compose.yml
dynamorm.code-workspace		dynamorm.code-workspace
dynamorm.go		dynamorm.go
dynamorm_bench_test.go		dynamorm_bench_test.go
dynamorm_converter_test.go		dynamorm_converter_test.go
dynamorm_custom_converter_update_test.go		dynamorm_custom_converter_update_test.go
dynamorm_stream_test.go		dynamorm_stream_test.go
dynamorm_test.go		dynamorm_test.go
go.mod		go.mod
go.sum		go.sum
lambda.go		lambda.go
lambda_test.go		lambda_test.go
multiaccount.go		multiaccount.go
transaction_conditions.go		transaction_conditions.go

License

pay-theory/dynamorm

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DynamORM: Type-Safe DynamoDB ORM for Go

Why DynamORM?

Features

Quick Start

Installation

For Lambda Functions (Recommended)

For Standard Applications

For Local Development

Core Concepts

Model Definition - CRITICAL for AI Assistants

Query Builder Pattern

Common Patterns

Pattern: DynamoDB Streams Processing

Pattern: Lambda Handler

Pattern: Testable Service

Pattern: Conditional Writes

Pattern: Batch Get

Advanced control with options

Fluent builder for complex cases

Custom retry policy with builder

Pattern: Transaction Operations

Pattern: Fluent Transaction Builder

Performance Benchmarks

Troubleshooting

Error: "ValidationException: One or more parameter values were invalid"

Error: "ResourceNotFoundException: Requested resource not found"

Error: "Query cost is too high" or slow performance

Error: Cold start timeouts in Lambda

Migration Guide

From Raw AWS SDK

From GORM

Best Practices

Demo Service (Phase 4 Helpers)

API Reference

Model(entity interface{}) Query

Where(field, operator, value) Query

Conditional Write Helpers

Transaction(fn func(*Tx) error) error

About This Codebase

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