title: SQLAlchemy or psycopg2?
body: <p>I am writing a quick and dirty script which requires interaction with a database (PG).</p>
  
  <p>The script is a pragmatic, tactical solution to an existing problem. however, I envisage that the script will evolve over time into a more "refined" system. Given the fact that it is currently being put together very quickly (i.e. I don't have the time to pour over huge reams of documentation), I am tempted to go the quick and dirty route, using psycopg.</p>
  
  <p>The advantages for psycopg2 (as I currently understand it) is that:</p>
  
  <ol>
  <li>written in C, so faster than sqlAlchemy (written in Python)?</li>
  <li>No abstraction layer over the DBAPI since works with one db and one db only (implication -> fast)</li>
  <li>(For now), I don't need an ORM, so I can directly execute my SQL statements without having to learn a new ORM syntax (i.e. lightweight)</li>
  </ol>
  
  <p>Disadvantages:</p>
  
  <ol>
  <li>I KNOW that I will want an ORM further down the line</li>
  <li>psycopg2 is ("dated"?) - don't know how long it will remain around for</li>
  </ol>
  
  <p>Are my perceptions of SqlAlchemy (slow/interpreted, bloated, steep learning curve) true - IS there anyway I can use sqlAlchemy in the "rough and ready" way I want to use psycopg - namely:</p>
  
  <ol>
  <li>execute SQL statements directly without having to mess about with the ORM layer, etc.</li>
  </ol>
  
  <p>Any examples of doing this available?</p>