What is the difference between normalize and denormalize?
SQL normalizes (no duplication, references between tables, requires joins). NoSQL denormalizes (duplication within documents for faster reads, requires updates in multiple places). Each has trade-offs depending on read vs write frequency.
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More FAQs in Database Schema Design for Node.js Apps: SQL vs NoSQL
SQL uses normalized tables with columns, primary keys, foreign keys, and relationships, with migrations to evolve. NoSQL uses flexible documents, embedding small coupled data and referencing large or shared data, with Mongoose for structure in Node.js.
Embed when data is always read with the parent (a user's address). Reference when data is shared (a post's author) or could grow large (comments on a post). The choice affects query performance and data duplication.
Because performance depends on how you query, not how you store. If you always fetch a user with their posts, embed or pre-join for fast reads. If you rarely do, normalize or reference for clean storage. Design for the queries you actually run.
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