|
| 1 | +--- |
| 2 | +title: 'How to use Prisma ORM with Hono' |
| 3 | +metaTitle: 'How to use Prisma ORM and Prisma Postgres with Hono' |
| 4 | +description: 'Learn how to use Prisma ORM in a Hono app' |
| 5 | +sidebar_label: 'Hono' |
| 6 | +image: '/img/guides/prisma-hono-cover.png' |
| 7 | +completion_time: '15 min' |
| 8 | +community_section: true |
| 9 | +--- |
| 10 | + |
| 11 | +## Introduction |
| 12 | + |
| 13 | +Prisma ORM offers type-safe database access, and [Hono](https://hono.dev/) is built for fast, lightweight web apps. Together with [Prisma Postgres](https://www.prisma.io/postgres), you get a fast, lightweight backend, that can be deployed through Node.js, Cloudflare, or many other runtimes. |
| 14 | + |
| 15 | +In this guide, you'll learn to integrate Prisma ORM with a Prisma Postgres database in a Hono backend application. You can find a complete example of this guide on [GitHub](https://github.com/prisma/prisma-examples/tree/latest/orm/node). |
| 16 | + |
| 17 | +## Prerequisites |
| 18 | +- [Node.js 20+](https://nodejs.org) |
| 19 | + |
| 20 | +## 1. Set up your project |
| 21 | + |
| 22 | +Create a new Hono project: |
| 23 | + |
| 24 | +```terminal |
| 25 | +npm create hono@latest |
| 26 | +``` |
| 27 | + |
| 28 | +:::info |
| 29 | +- *Target directory?* `my-app` |
| 30 | +- *Which template do you want to use?* `nodejs` |
| 31 | +- *Install dependencies? (recommended)* `Yes` |
| 32 | +- *Do you want to install project dependencies?* `Yes` |
| 33 | +- *Which package manager do you want to use?* `npm` |
| 34 | +::: |
| 35 | + |
| 36 | +## 2. Install and Configure Prisma |
| 37 | + |
| 38 | +### 2.1. Install dependencies |
| 39 | + |
| 40 | +To get started with Prisma, you'll need to install a few dependencies: |
| 41 | + |
| 42 | +<TabbedContent code> |
| 43 | +<TabItem value="Prisma Postgres (recommended)"> |
| 44 | +```terminal |
| 45 | +npm install prisma dotenv --save-dev |
| 46 | +npm install @prisma/extension-accelerate @prisma/client |
| 47 | +``` |
| 48 | +</TabItem> |
| 49 | +<TabItem value="Other databases"> |
| 50 | +```terminal |
| 51 | +npm install prisma dotenv --save-dev |
| 52 | +npm install @prisma/client |
| 53 | +``` |
| 54 | +</TabItem> |
| 55 | +</TabbedContent> |
| 56 | + |
| 57 | +Once installed, initialize Prisma in your project: |
| 58 | + |
| 59 | +```terminal |
| 60 | +npx prisma init --db --output ../src/generated/prisma |
| 61 | +``` |
| 62 | +:::info |
| 63 | +You'll need to answer a few questions while setting up your Prisma Postgres database. Select the region closest to your location and a memorable name for your database like "My Hono Project" |
| 64 | +::: |
| 65 | +This will create: |
| 66 | + |
| 67 | +- A `prisma/` directory with a `schema.prisma` file |
| 68 | +- A `.env` file with a `DATABASE_URL` already set |
| 69 | + |
| 70 | +### 2.2. Define your Prisma Schema |
| 71 | + |
| 72 | +In the `prisma/schema.prisma` file, add the following models and change the generator to use the `prisma-client` provider: |
| 73 | + |
| 74 | +```prisma file=prisma/schema.prisma |
| 75 | +generator client { |
| 76 | + //edit-next-line |
| 77 | + provider = "prisma-client" |
| 78 | + engineType = "client" |
| 79 | + output = "../src/generated/prisma" |
| 80 | +} |
| 81 | +
|
| 82 | +datasource db { |
| 83 | + provider = "postgresql" |
| 84 | + url = env("DATABASE_URL") |
| 85 | +} |
| 86 | +
|
| 87 | +//add-start |
| 88 | +model User { |
| 89 | + id Int @id @default(autoincrement()) |
| 90 | + email String @unique |
| 91 | + name String? |
| 92 | + posts Post[] |
| 93 | +} |
| 94 | +
|
| 95 | +model Post { |
| 96 | + id Int @id @default(autoincrement()) |
| 97 | + title String |
| 98 | + content String? |
| 99 | + published Boolean @default(false) |
| 100 | + authorId Int |
| 101 | + author User @relation(fields: [authorId], references: [id]) |
| 102 | +} |
| 103 | +//add-end |
| 104 | +``` |
| 105 | + |
| 106 | +This creates two models: `User` and `Post`, with a one-to-many relationship between them. |
| 107 | + |
| 108 | +### 2.3. Configure the Prisma Client generator |
| 109 | + |
| 110 | +Now, run the following command to create the database tables and generate the Prisma Client: |
| 111 | + |
| 112 | +```terminal |
| 113 | +npx prisma migrate dev --name init |
| 114 | +``` |
| 115 | +### 2.4. Seed the database |
| 116 | + |
| 117 | +Let's add some seed data to populate the database with sample users and posts. |
| 118 | + |
| 119 | +Create a new file called `seed.ts` in the `prisma/` directory: |
| 120 | + |
| 121 | +```typescript file=prisma/seed.ts |
| 122 | +import { PrismaClient, Prisma } from "../src/generated/prisma/client.js"; |
| 123 | + |
| 124 | +const prisma = new PrismaClient(); |
| 125 | + |
| 126 | +const userData: Prisma.UserCreateInput[] = [ |
| 127 | + { |
| 128 | + name: "Alice", |
| 129 | + email: "alice@prisma.io", |
| 130 | + posts: { |
| 131 | + create: [ |
| 132 | + { |
| 133 | + title: "Join the Prisma Discord", |
| 134 | + content: "https://pris.ly/discord", |
| 135 | + published: true, |
| 136 | + }, |
| 137 | + { |
| 138 | + title: "Prisma on YouTube", |
| 139 | + content: "https://pris.ly/youtube", |
| 140 | + }, |
| 141 | + ], |
| 142 | + }, |
| 143 | + }, |
| 144 | + { |
| 145 | + name: "Bob", |
| 146 | + email: "bob@prisma.io", |
| 147 | + posts: { |
| 148 | + create: [ |
| 149 | + { |
| 150 | + title: "Follow Prisma on Twitter", |
| 151 | + content: "https://www.twitter.com/prisma", |
| 152 | + published: true, |
| 153 | + }, |
| 154 | + ], |
| 155 | + }, |
| 156 | + }, |
| 157 | +]; |
| 158 | + |
| 159 | +export async function main() { |
| 160 | + for (const u of userData) { |
| 161 | + await prisma.user.create({ data: u }); |
| 162 | + } |
| 163 | +} |
| 164 | + |
| 165 | +main() |
| 166 | + .catch((e) => { |
| 167 | + console.error(e); |
| 168 | + process.exit(1); |
| 169 | + }) |
| 170 | + .finally(async () => { |
| 171 | + await prisma.$disconnect(); |
| 172 | + }); |
| 173 | +``` |
| 174 | + |
| 175 | +Now, tell Prisma how to run this script by updating your `package.json`: |
| 176 | + |
| 177 | +```json file=package.json |
| 178 | +{ |
| 179 | + "name": "my-app", |
| 180 | + "type": "module", |
| 181 | + "scripts": { |
| 182 | + "dev": "tsx watch src/index.ts", |
| 183 | + "build": "tsc", |
| 184 | + "start": "node dist/index.js" |
| 185 | + }, |
| 186 | + //add-start |
| 187 | + "prisma": { |
| 188 | + "seed": "tsx prisma/seed.ts" |
| 189 | + }, |
| 190 | + //add-end |
| 191 | + "dependencies": { |
| 192 | + "@hono/node-server": "^1.19.5", |
| 193 | + "@prisma/client": "^6.16.3", |
| 194 | + "@prisma/extension-accelerate": "^2.0.2", |
| 195 | + "dotenv": "^17.2.3", |
| 196 | + "hono": "^4.9.9" |
| 197 | + }, |
| 198 | + "devDependencies": { |
| 199 | + "@types/node": "^20.11.17", |
| 200 | + "prisma": "^6.16.3", |
| 201 | + "tsx": "^4.20.6", |
| 202 | + "typescript": "^5.8.3" |
| 203 | + } |
| 204 | +} |
| 205 | +``` |
| 206 | + |
| 207 | +Run the seed script: |
| 208 | + |
| 209 | +```terminal |
| 210 | +npx prisma db seed |
| 211 | +``` |
| 212 | + |
| 213 | +And open Prisma Studio to inspect your data: |
| 214 | + |
| 215 | +```terminal |
| 216 | +npx prisma studio |
| 217 | +``` |
| 218 | + |
| 219 | +## 3. Integrate Prisma Into Hono |
| 220 | + |
| 221 | +### 3.1. Create a Prisma Middleware |
| 222 | + |
| 223 | +Inside of `/src`, create a `lib` directory and a `prisma.ts` file inside it. This file will be used to create and export your Prisma Client instance. Set up the Prisma client like this: |
| 224 | + |
| 225 | +<TabbedContent code> |
| 226 | +<TabItem value="Prisma Postgres (recommended)"> |
| 227 | +```tsx file=src/lib/prisma.ts |
| 228 | +import type { Context, Next } from 'hono'; |
| 229 | +import { PrismaClient } from '../generated/prisma/client.js'; |
| 230 | +import { withAccelerate } from '@prisma/extension-accelerate'; |
| 231 | + |
| 232 | +function withPrisma(c: Context, next: Next) { |
| 233 | + if (!c.get('prisma')) { |
| 234 | + const databaseUrl = process.env.DATABASE_URL; |
| 235 | + |
| 236 | + if (!databaseUrl) { |
| 237 | + throw new Error('DATABASE_URL is not set'); |
| 238 | + } |
| 239 | + const prisma = new PrismaClient({ datasourceUrl: databaseUrl }) |
| 240 | + .$extends(withAccelerate()); |
| 241 | + |
| 242 | + c.set('prisma', prisma); |
| 243 | + } |
| 244 | + return next(); |
| 245 | +} |
| 246 | +export default withPrisma; |
| 247 | +``` |
| 248 | +</TabItem> |
| 249 | + |
| 250 | +<TabItem value="Other databases"> |
| 251 | +```tsx file=src/lib/prisma.ts |
| 252 | +import type { Context, Next } from 'hono'; |
| 253 | +import { PrismaClient } from '../generated/prisma/client.js'; |
| 254 | + |
| 255 | +function withPrisma(c: Context, next: Next) { |
| 256 | + if (!c.get('prisma')) { |
| 257 | + const databaseUrl = process.env.DATABASE_URL; |
| 258 | + |
| 259 | + if (!databaseUrl) { |
| 260 | + throw new Error('DATABASE_URL is not set'); |
| 261 | + } |
| 262 | + const prisma = new PrismaClient({ datasourceUrl: databaseUrl }) |
| 263 | + |
| 264 | + c.set('prisma', prisma); |
| 265 | + } |
| 266 | + return next(); |
| 267 | +} |
| 268 | +export default withPrisma; |
| 269 | +``` |
| 270 | +</TabItem> |
| 271 | +</TabbedContent> |
| 272 | + |
| 273 | +:::warning |
| 274 | +We recommend using a connection pooler (like [Prisma Accelerate](https://www.prisma.io/accelerate)) to manage database connections efficiently. |
| 275 | + |
| 276 | +If you choose not to use one, **avoid** instantiating `PrismaClient` globally in long-lived environments. Instead, create and dispose of the client per request to prevent exhausting your database connections. |
| 277 | +::: |
| 278 | + |
| 279 | +### 3.2 Environment Variables & Types |
| 280 | + |
| 281 | +By default, Hono does not load any environment variables from a `.env`. `dotenv` handles this and |
| 282 | +will be read that file and expose them via `process.env`. |
| 283 | + |
| 284 | +Edit the `src/index.ts` to import `dotenv` and call the `config` method on it. |
| 285 | + |
| 286 | +```ts file=src/index.ts |
| 287 | +import { Hono } from 'hono'; |
| 288 | +import { serve } from '@hono/node-server'; |
| 289 | + |
| 290 | +// Read .env and set variables to process.env |
| 291 | +import * as dotenv from 'dotenv'; |
| 292 | +dotenv.config(); |
| 293 | +``` |
| 294 | + |
| 295 | +Next, Hono needs additional types to to know that the `withPrisma` middleware will set a `prsima` |
| 296 | +key on the Hono Context |
| 297 | + |
| 298 | +```ts file=src/index.ts |
| 299 | +import type { PrismaClient } from './generated/prisma/client.js'; |
| 300 | + |
| 301 | +type ContextWithPrisma = { |
| 302 | + Variables: { |
| 303 | + prisma: PrismaClient; |
| 304 | + }; |
| 305 | +}; |
| 306 | + |
| 307 | +const app = new Hono<ContextWithPrisma>(); |
| 308 | +``` |
| 309 | + |
| 310 | + |
| 311 | +### 3.3. Create A GET Route |
| 312 | + |
| 313 | +Fetch data from the database using Hono's `app.get` function. This will perform any database queries |
| 314 | +and return the data as JSON. |
| 315 | + |
| 316 | +Create a new route inside of `src/index.ts`: |
| 317 | + |
| 318 | +Now, create a GET route that fetches the `Users` data from your database, making sure to include each user's `Posts` by adding them to the `include` field: |
| 319 | + |
| 320 | +```ts file=src/index.ts |
| 321 | +import withPrisma from './lib/prisma.js'; |
| 322 | + |
| 323 | +app.get('/users', withPrisma, async (c) => { |
| 324 | + const prisma = c.get('prisma'); |
| 325 | + const users = await prisma.user.findMany({ |
| 326 | + include: { posts: true }, |
| 327 | + }); |
| 328 | + return c.json({ users }); |
| 329 | +}); |
| 330 | +``` |
| 331 | + |
| 332 | + |
| 333 | +### 3.4. Display The Data |
| 334 | + |
| 335 | +Start the Hono app by call the `dev` script in the `package.json` |
| 336 | + |
| 337 | +```terminal |
| 338 | +npm run dev |
| 339 | +``` |
| 340 | + |
| 341 | +There should be a "Server is running on http://localhost:3000" log printed out. From here, the data |
| 342 | +can be viewed by visting `http://localhost:3000/users` or by running `curl` from the command line |
| 343 | + |
| 344 | +```terminal |
| 345 | +curl http://localhost:3000/users | jq |
| 346 | +``` |
| 347 | + |
| 348 | +You're done! You've created a Hono app with Prisma that's connected to a Prisma Postgres database. |
| 349 | +For next steps there are some resources below for you to explore as well as next steps for expanding |
| 350 | +your project. |
| 351 | + |
| 352 | +## Next Steps |
| 353 | + |
| 354 | +Now that you have a working Hono app connected to a Prisma Postgres database, you can: |
| 355 | + |
| 356 | +- Extend your Prisma schema with more models and relationships |
| 357 | +- Add create/update/delete routes and forms |
| 358 | +- Explore authentication and validation |
| 359 | +- Enable query caching with [Prisma Postgres](/postgres/database/caching) for better performance |
| 360 | + |
| 361 | +### More Info |
| 362 | + |
| 363 | +- [Prisma Documentation](/orm/overview/introduction) |
| 364 | +- [Hono Documentation](https://hono.dev/docs/) |
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