MODEPOT · DATABASE RESEARCH

A custom relational engine. A simple Python ORM.

RefPot is research into an embedded relational database engine that stands on its own—not a SQLite wrapper—with a straightforward Python ORM on top.

Created by Tugrul Guner

RefPot — a custom relational engine and simple Python ORM. Research and design; not released.

Research & design — no released database yet.This project has no installable package, stable API, production durability guarantee, or general 2× performance claim. The research and architecture shown here do not describe a shipped engine.

What RefPot is exploring

RefPot’s goal is its own embedded relational database engine, usable directly, with a simple Python ORM built on top. It is not a SQLite wrapper. Direct engine operations and ORM operations should share semantic validation, constraints, transaction rules, and recovery behavior rather than round-tripping ORM operations through a SQL parser.

The intended developer experience is deliberately straightforward: open a local database, declare data, perform ordinary reads and writes, and make transaction ownership explicit. This is a design goal, not an API available today.

Proposed architecture — not shipped

Planned RefPot architecture, not shipped: SQL and structured ORM operations share one execution core, validation, transaction guarantees, storage, and recovery. — Proposed architecture only. No engine, SQL frontend, Python binding, ORM, storage, or recovery implementation is shipped.

Read the design direction, the performance qualification method, and the source roadmap. The roadmap is the canonical source for project milestones; all milestone checkboxes remain planned until implementation and evidence land.