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Ivory is a PHP database access layer built specifically for PostgreSQL. The text currently lists the latest version as 0.2.1, released on 2024-08-06. It is explicitly not an ORM and does not provide Active Record. Instead, it encourages developers to write SQL directly while adding type safety, parameterization, safe escaping, and database control features on top.
Ivory is designed around the idea of “PostgreSQL only, and as complete as possible.” It supports PHP ≥ 7.2 and PostgreSQL ≥ 9.4, and covers standard PostgreSQL data types, including enums, composite types, range types, custom types, multidimensional arrays, and distinguishing same-named types across different schemas. SQL Patterns are one of its key features, enabling safe parameter passing through placeholders, type inference, relational data input, and escaping for LIKE operands.
In terms of control, Ivory provides an object-oriented transaction API, automatic rollback, two-phase commit, session- and transaction-level configuration management, custom SQL state exception mapping, asynchronous connections, and asynchronous queries. It also supports the PSR-6 cache interface, batch asynchronous cursor fetching, relational algebra operations, and wrappers for PostgreSQL LISTEN/NOTIFY.
No commercial pricing is shown in the text. Ivory is an open-source project released under the BSD 3-clause license. It can be used in commercial and closed-source software as long as the copyright notice is retained. From a licensing-cost perspective, it offers strong value.
Its strengths are its PostgreSQL focus, detailed type system, and strong native SQL expressiveness, making it suitable for PHP projects that need precise control over database behavior. Compared with general-purpose DBALs, it does not sacrifice PostgreSQL-specific features for multi-database compatibility.
The limitations are also clear: it is not an ORM, so business object mapping, repository layers, and similar abstractions need to be designed separately; it only supports PostgreSQL, so it is not suitable for multi-database products; and Prepared Statements, BLOB, COPY control, database object introspection, IDE support, and other features are still listed as future plans. The version number is still early, so production adoption should be preceded by an assessment of stability and community activity.
Ivory is suitable for PHP backend developers who are familiar with SQL/PostgreSQL, want to avoid the abstraction overhead of an ORM, and care about type safety and transaction control. If your team depends on mature ecosystems such as Laravel or Doctrine, migration costs may be relatively high. The text does not provide information about access from China; GitHub-related resources may be affected by network instability in mainland China. Payment issues are not applicable. Alternatives include Doctrine DBAL, PDO pgsql, or the database layer built into your framework.
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