DynamoDB? The one table solution? Amplify sucks?

[domgarza11]

I learned to code through building my startup using a React Native Expo AWS amplify stack. It’s been about 1.5 years since I first started. I always knew that there were many things going on under the hood that I didn’t understand. Crucially; dynamoDB. I ignored it mostly because I already started and I just wanted to get into users hands which I am now. This way of learning is interesting because I can implement something and not quite know how it fully works but as time goes on, I was forced into knowing how it worked eventually. 1.5 years in, I’m working with about 5 tables through amplify and now that I’m getting more users it caused me to do a deeper dive into DynamoDB. Since I have no prior code experience; I also have no database experience to reference. I never got to use sql. I often heard it was tough to write data to DynamoDB or the syntax was weird but it seems straightforward. Know your access patterns. State the types for your partition keys and sort keys and Perform your GET, PUT, UPDATE and DELETE actions. Putting all the tables into one table seemed weird but after using the DynamoDB workbench to visually map my access patterns, I fell in love with it. Right now through amplify, I am essentially scanning the whole table to get to get to the data. Now, with one table solution and setting up my access patterns, I can get to my data like a sniper. Perhaps it’s because I have no prior experience but I also think it’s because amplify allowed me to easily make changes to my data models which in turn resulted in me understanding my access patterns deeper. Thoughts?

[zer00eyz]

> I don’t know sql.

Buy the book "Database Design for Mere Mortals: A Hands-On Guide to Relational Database Design"

Read it, read it again, read it till you can normalize in your sleep. Candidly the RDBMS isnt hard, and once you understand how to build one SQL clicks.

[domgarza11 → zer00eyz]

Why would I need to read a book over and over again and memorize it in my sleep, when I can already achieve a “one sql click” with access patterns for a nosql db?

[zer00eyz → domgarza11]

Make a list of 50 year old technologies that were still dragging around...

C, *inx, sql...

There is a reason these things are still highly valuable to this very day. Battle hardened, tested, performant... There are billions of sql lite installs out there for a reason... There is a reason oracle was(is) huge, and Postgres is popular...

If you never had a cheeseburger, or bacon, telling me the vegan imitation version your eating is better than the real thing would be foolish...

[domgarza11 → zer00eyz]

I was hoping for something more helpful and insightful. Snapchat seems to be having success with DynamoDB

https://aws.amazon.com/solutions/case-studies/snap-dynamodb/