The goal of the tutorial is a broad-based introduction to SQLAlchemy, spanning the Core and ORM components as well as the systems that underlie them. The tutorial takes the "harder" approach teaching from fundamentals first, emphasizing details on how the library interacts with the database and SQL and concluding with an introduction to the ORM, providing a solid perspective for continued study.
In contrast to ORM tutorials which might begin with applied object-relational examples, this tutorial takes the opposite approach of building up from underlying and core components first, moving first through relational database concepts into the Python DBAPI, then describing the SQLAlchemy Core, the SQL Expression Language, and finally the ORM.
In terms of learning SQLAlchemy, this is the harder road to travel, and at the end the ORM component itself will only have been roughly introduced. However, the goal is so that new users would leave with a solid grasp on what exactly SQLAlchemy is doing and how it's doing it, so that their future endeavors in continuing to learn about ORMs, SQLAlchemy or not, is informed by a rough understanding of the underlying fundmantals of interacting with a database.
The outline here may change a bit, as the tutorial barely fit into three hours when I did it last time, and I will likely have to thin out some areas so that there's time for breaks and questions.
Introduction to SQLAlchemy
Installing Tutorial Scripts
Relational Database Review
What do we mean "relational"?
Tables, columns
SQL Syntax
Foreign Keys
Joins
ACID model
SQLAlchemy - Overview
Goals
Philosophies
Library Structure
Core
ORM
The four "levels"
Level One - Engine, Connection, Transactions
Python DBAPI
Engine walkthroguh
Exercises
Level Two - Database Metadata
What is Metadata?
Metadata / Table walkthrough
Types
CREATE / DROP
Constraints
Reflecting DDL
Exercises
Break
Level Three - SQL Expressions
Intro
Expressions Walkthrough
Exercises
Level Four - Object Relational Mapping
What does an ORM Do ?
Flavors of ORM
SQLAlchemy ORM
Key ORM Patterns
ORM Walkthrough
Exercises
Update: See updated tutorial preparation instructions at Introduction to SQLAlchemy - reading and software requirements!