Awesome Database Design

Overview

A comprehensive collection of resources and tutorials for designing better database schemas. Covers fundamental concepts, best practices, and advanced techniques for relational and non-relational databases.

Fundamental Concepts

Database Normalization

• First Normal Form (1NF) - Eliminate repeating groups
• Second Normal Form (2NF) - Remove partial dependencies
• Third Normal Form (3NF) - Eliminate transitive dependencies
• BCNF - Boyce-Codd Normal Form
• 4NF and 5NF - Advanced normal forms

Denormalization

• When and why to denormalize
• Read vs write optimization trade-offs
• Materialized views
• Redundant data strategies

Schema Design Patterns

Relational Patterns

• One-to-One relationships
• One-to-Many relationships
• Many-to-Many with junction tables
• Hierarchical data (adjacency list, nested sets)
• Temporal data modeling

NoSQL Patterns

• Document embedding vs referencing
• Bucket pattern
• Computed pattern
• Extended reference pattern
• Subset pattern

Indexing Strategies

Index Types

• B-tree indexes (default for most databases)
• Hash indexes for equality lookups
• GiST and GIN indexes (PostgreSQL)
• Full-text search indexes
• Spatial indexes

Index Design

• Composite indexes
• Covering indexes
• Partial indexes
• Index selectivity
• Index maintenance costs

Performance Optimization

Query Optimization

• Execution plan analysis
• Query profiling and tuning
• Avoiding N+1 queries
• Batch operations
• Prepared statements

Partitioning

• Horizontal partitioning (sharding)
• Vertical partitioning
• Range partitioning
• Hash partitioning
• List partitioning

Data Integrity

Constraints

• Primary keys
• Foreign keys
• Unique constraints
• Check constraints
• Not null constraints

Transactions

• ACID properties
• Isolation levels
• Optimistic vs pessimistic locking
• Deadlock prevention

Best Practices

• Use appropriate data types
• Consistent naming conventions