SQL vs NoSQL
The foundational choice: relational integrity and joins (SQL) vs flexible schema and horizontal scale (NoSQL) — decided per data type, not once for the whole system.
Why we need this / what value this brings
Picking the wrong family means fighting the database for the rest of the project's life — forcing joins onto a document store, or forcing a rigid schema onto genuinely flexible data.
When to use this
SQL by default for anything with relationships and integrity requirements (bookings, payments); NoSQL only for a specific access pattern SQL handles poorly (huge flexible/unstructured documents, extreme write throughput).
How to use or implement this
Default to Postgres for new data unless a specific access pattern is demonstrably a poor fit for relational storage.
Research questions
- Localz's core data (bookings, users, providers, payments) is clearly relational — is there any data shape in the app that would genuinely fit NoSQL better?
Empty folder — drop notes, links, and findings here as you research.