Two ways to model tables in code

Generally I run into two ways to model tables in code.

The first way is to have a single object type respresenting a full row in a table, matching the SQL query SELECT * FROM TABLE. I'm going to call this way the model-the-table method. Every use of the table in code gets all fields regardless of need. This is wasteful but simpler to maintain.

The second way is to have several object types, each representing a single use of a row in the table, matching the SQL query SELECT COLUMN_1, COLUMN_2 FROM TABLE. I'm going to call this way the model-the-use method. Each use of the table in code gets only the fields needed. This is more precise but harder to maintain.

I'm undecided which I like better and have used both in projects, even within the same project. Perhaps enlightenment will come my way.

My pairmate, Karthik Chandrasekariah pointed out to me the similarity of this choice to using the Adapter pattern. Only instead of changing the view of an underlying code object with an adapter, you change the view of a database table.