Data Source Pattern Selector

Choose the right data access pattern — Table Data Gateway, Row Data Gateway, Active Record, or Data Mapper — for a persistence layer. Use when asked "should I use Active Record or Data Mapper?", "which ORM pattern fits my app?", "when does Hibernate-style mapping make sense vs. Rails ActiveRecord?", "how do I structure my database access layer?", "data mapper or active record for my domain model?", "Row Data Gateway vs Active Record", "Table Data Gateway vs Data Mapper", "Fowler data source patterns", "persistence layer design", "ORM pattern selection", "choose ORM pattern", "database access layer architecture", "Hibernate vs Rails persistence style". Applies when designing a new persistence layer or refactoring an existing one. Routes each domain-logic pattern (Table Module, Transaction Script, Domain Model) to its natural data-source counterpart. Identifies the Active Record / Data Mapper mismatch anti-pattern (AR when schema is not isomorphic with objects; DM when AR would suffice). Maps each pattern to modern framework idioms: Rails ActiveRecord → AR pattern; Hibernate / Spring Data JPA / EF Core → DM; Django ORM → AR-leaning; SQLAlchemy Core → TDG-style; SQLAlchemy ORM → DM; Laravel Eloquent → AR. Warns against business logic creeping into Gateway classes. Produces a pattern decision record with rationale, framework notes, and migration path. If the domain-logic pattern has not yet been chosen, invoke `domain-logic-pattern-selector` first.

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Install

Claude CodeClawhHubnpxCursorCodexGemini CLI

1. Add marketplace

› /plugin marketplace add bookforge-ai/bookforge-skills

2. Install plugin

› /plugin install patterns-of-enterprise-application-architecture@bookforge-skills

3. Use the skill

› /data-source-pattern-selector

CC-BY-SA · Open sourceGitHub

Source Book

Patterns of Enterprise Application Architecture

Martin Fowler, David Rice, Matthew Foemmel, Edward Hieatt, Robert Mee, Randy Stafford

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