NoSQL Database
Definition.
NoSQL Database: A non-relational database that provides a mechanism for storage and retrieval of data modeled in means other than the tabular relations used in relational databases.
In More Detail
NoSQL covers several different models — document, key-value, wide-column, graph — each relaxing something relational databases guarantee in exchange for something else, usually horizontal scale or schema flexibility.
Flexible schemas are the part that is oversold. The schema does not disappear; it moves into your application code, where it is enforced inconsistently and undocumented. When data is genuinely relational, PostgreSQL with a `jsonb` column for the unstructured parts often gives you both the flexibility and the constraints.
In Practice
PostgreSQL's JSONB columns cover most of the flexibility clients actually want from a NoSQL database, while keeping the transactional guarantees of a relational database — I default to Postgres and only reach for a dedicated NoSQL store when there's a specific reason to.
Related Terms
Browse the full software development glossary, or see the frequently asked questions.
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