Technical
How to Create a SQL Script in Vertabelo
26 Oct 2021
Data modeling is usually seen as a visual activity, but many data modelers prefer writing a SQL script to generate the data model. Catering to different teams and different ways of collaboration between teams, Vertabelo offers you three different options to create your data models. You can create a physical data model, a logical data model, or a SQL script. Creating a physical data model or a logical data model consists of a GUI-based approach.
Technical
Don’t Store Images and Media Files in a Database
23 Oct 2021
Storing binary files in a relational database is not very efficient. The process of saving and retrieving the files from a database is generally much slower than using file storage. Also, it is a good idea to keep your database as small as possible. If the database is huge, backups become very large and difficult to manage.
Instead of keeping large files in the database, we recommend putting them on disk or in a file storage service (such as S3 in AWS).
Technical
The Benefits of Data Modeling
21 Oct 2021
Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can model today. Every minute you spend building and keeping your data model up to date means hours saved in the future.
In my early days as a database designer, I thought data modeling was an unnecessary step that only delayed the time to get the databases up and running. I thought that because, in most cases, databases started with just a few entities – 6 or 7, tops.
Technical
How to Add References to ER Diagrams in Vertabelo
19 Oct 2021
Adding references to your data model is essential to maintaining clarity.
A Quick and Easy Introduction to Entity Relationships In data modeling, defining relationships between tables/entities entails using a certain notation to indicate the cardinality between them. This applies to both logical and physical data models.
Cardinality refers to how many instances of one entity are related to the other entity. For example, a database that keeps track of orders on an e-commerce website likely has customer and order entities.
Technical
Use the DECIMAL Data Type for Money Values
16 Oct 2021
Picking the right type for a column is important, but the best choice is not always obvious. A common beginner mistake is to use a floating point type to store financial values.
It is very important not to use floating point types (such as REAL, DOUBLE PRECISION, etc.) to store financial data. Calculations performed on floating point types can be inaccurate, which is unacceptable when working with business-related data. If you’re dealing with money, approximations are not sufficient!
Technical
How to Become a Database Designer
14 Oct 2021
Database modeling has some science, some art, a lot of techniques, and quite a bit of general wisdom. All good database modelers study a lot, practice a lot, cultivate creativity, and develop interpersonal skills.
The road to becoming a database designer may seem arduous. But if you enjoy working with data, giving structure where there seemingly is none, and helping people find hidden truths in tides of information, you will definitely find the journey enjoyable.
Technical
Database Design for Audit Logging
12 Oct 2021
Thinking of a database design for audit logging? Remember what happened to Hansel and Gretel: they thought leaving a simple trail of breadcrumbs was a good way to trace their steps.
When we design a data model, we are trained to apply the philosophy that now is all that exists. For example, if we design a schema to store prices for a product catalog, we may think that the database only needs to tell us the price of each product at the present moment.
Technical
How to Get Help in Vertabelo
9 Oct 2021
Have you ever wondered what to do if you need help with Vertabelo? Find the available options here.
The first place to look for help is the Vertabelo documentation. You can find it at https://www.vertabelo.com/documentation. It provides detailed information on managing your documents, logical data modeling, physical data modeling, and SQL scripts. There’s also a FAQ section on our site to help you quickly get answers to common questions.
If you cannot find a solution in the FAQs or the documentation, visit our support site at https://support.
Technical
What’s the Best ER Diagram Tool for PostgreSQL?
7 Oct 2021
Data modeling for PostgreSQL is no longer a challenge. Read on and learn about the best tool for PostgreSQL ER diagrams.
PostgreSQL, a.k.a. Postgres, is a free and open-source relational database management system (RDBMS). It has become popular for database development among major organizations such as Instagram, Skype, and Netflix.
Since the ERD (Entity Relationship Diagram) is an essential tool in data modeling, it’s worth the effort to find the perfect ERD tools that support Postgres.
Technical
What I Don’t Like About Database Modeling
5 Oct 2021
Database modeling has its best practices and its guidelines. But even if you follow all the rules, sometimes things don’t work out. Here’s what I find challenging about database design.
Database modeling is the process through which a database developer or architect creates a data model for an application. The data model they create will describe the structure of the database, including the tables, the relationships between tables, and the data that’s stored in the database.
