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PostgreSQL: JSONB vs Relational Tables

Postgres allows JSON columns. Should you use them?

The Promise

No migrations! Just dump data!

INSERT INTO events (data) VALUES ('{"event": "click", "x": 10, "y": 20}');

The Trap

If you use JSONB for everything, you lose:
* Foreign Keys (Data Integrity).
* Efficient types (Date, Int vs String).
* Space (JSON keys are stored repeatedly).

When to use JSONB?

  1. Dyanmic Data: User settings, custom fields.
  2. External Payloads: Storing Webhook responses.

Conclusion

Don't treat Postgres like MongoDB. Relational data (Users, Orders) belongs in Tables. dynamic attributes belong in JSONB.

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