Say NO to SQL: Part 3

In parts 1 and 2, we saw how relational databases need us to break up data and store it in little pieces. We specifically talked about splitting up data into different tables in part 1. In this part, we will see how we can get the different pieces of data from different tables together again and what kind of problems this merging causes. Continue reading “Say NO to SQL: Part 3”

A year of freelancing: What I learnt

It was just after the Diwali of 2015 that I quit my regular job and started software freelancing. Since then, my life has taken a different turn. While at work, I have been coding, taking calls, documenting, improving, improvising and deploying projects. When not working, I am travelling, trekking, cooking, reading, watching documentaries, running, bicycling and learning a lot of new skills. It has been a wonderful year, one of the best in my life. In this post, I am listing out what I learnt while sailing through the year. Continue reading “A year of freelancing: What I learnt”

Say NO to SQL: Part 2

In part 1, we saw how relational and non-relational databases differ in structure. Tables must have a singular, ‘unbreakable ‘ piece of information per row and column in a relational database, while non-relational databases can even contain tables inside tables (called nested data).

In this part, we will see how a relational database wreaks havoc with a piece of information so fundamental, that by the end of this post, you will start wondering why relational databases have been in use for so long! We are talking about human names today. We are talking about how a term I call ‘structural rigidity’ of relational databases caused an unnecessary and unwilling ‘standardisation’ in the way we look at human names today. Continue reading “Say NO to SQL: Part 2”