Good database design is the foundation of a scalable application. Here are patterns that solve common problems.
Normalization vs Denormalization
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Soft Deletes
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Polymorphic Associations
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Temporal Data (History)
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Tree Structures
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Many-to-Many with Metadata
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Tagging Pattern
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JSON/JSONB Columns
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Best Practices
Design:
✓ Normalize first, denormalize when needed
✓ Use appropriate data types
✓ Add indexes for query patterns
✓ Plan for growth
Integrity:
✓ Use foreign keys
✓ Add constraints (NOT NULL, CHECK)
✓ Consider soft deletes for audit
✓ Use transactions
Performance:
✓ Index foreign keys
✓ Avoid over-indexing
✓ Partition large tables
✓ Monitor query plans
Conclusion
Choose database patterns based on your access patterns. Normalize for data integrity, denormalize for read performance. Use appropriate patterns for hierarchies, temporal data, and flexible schemas. Always index based on actual query patterns and monitor performance.