NoSQL? No Problem
Does it seem like all these computer programming languages, frameworks, and databases have odd names? I know it seemed that way to me. We’ve got JavaScript, Java (no relation), C, C++, C# (pronounced C-sharp), Python, Go (also called Golang), Haskell, PHP, Ruby, React, Vue, Angular, Ember, Express, Laravel, and then this SQL stuff. So, what is SQL?
SQL (pronounced “ess-que-el” or “sequel”) is short for Structured Query Language. Its databases include SQLite, MySQL, PostgresQL, among others. When we build an app, we usually need a database to store user information. Think: usernames, emails, passwords, security questions and corresponding answers, name, etc. It’s not entirely secure to have this information stored in an Excel spreadsheet, and so we store this in a database with various security measures. SQL is how we access the information in the database — it is a language in it of itself.
You may have heard of NoSQL then. If not, you definitely have heard of popular NoSQL databases. NoSQL stands for “not only SQL”, and is also a database — but unlike SQL, it’s not relational.
Hold up. Backtrack. Rewind. What does that mean?
Let’s say you, like 999,999,999 other people, had an Instagram account. Or maybe two: one for you and one for your dog/cat/bird/plants. Your account, in the database, amounts to a User ID. Easy to identify and unique. Your email and password is in relation to your User ID. Likewise, so are your photos, followers, following, and comments. This information is likely all arranged in a table structure on a database, and usually follows a specific structure.
NoSQL is the opposite. As previously mentioned, it is non-relational and more importantly, it is not restricted to a table structure. Mark Smallcombe provides a great example of how exactly the two are different in his article on XPlenty — check it out if you enjoy analogies!
What are some examples of NoSQL?
There are many popular NoSQL databases, including:
- MongoDB
- Redis
- Cassandra
- Azure
- Oracle
You can check out more on TrustRadius.
What are the benefits of using a NoSQL database?
NoSQL is a popular choice for many reasons, one of them being that it’s easy to scale up. Another is hidden in its name: it’s not only SQL. As such, it’s not bound to a table structure and therefore allows for flexibility.
What are the benefits of using SQL?
SQL and its multiple versions of databases have a clear structure. While each version is slightly different from the other, once you grasp the concept, you’ll know how to capture the information you need. In addition to the provided structure, Benjamin Anderson and Brad Nicholson say it allows for “reduced data storage footprint”.
Thanks for reading! There are thousands of resources out there if you like to dive more into the granular of the pros and cons of a SQL/NoSQL database. Please check out the resources below.
