JSON Storage Strategies in Modern Databases
2025-12-15#Database#JSON#SQL#NoSQL
JSON in Relational Databases
PostgreSQL (JSONB)
Binary storage with GIN index support, offering excellent query performance. Ideal for hybrid models (structured fields + flexible attributes).
SELECT * FROM docs WHERE data @> '{"tags": ["urgent"]}';
MySQL
Native JSON type with virtual column indexing. Suitable for lightweight storage and queries.
NoSQL Databases
MongoDB
BSON format, natively supports deep queries and aggregation, naturally fitting document-oriented data.
Design Principles
- Structure Core Fields: Keep IDs, timestamps, and status as separate columns for performance.
- Avoid Deep Nesting: Excessive depth increases indexing and update costs.
- Read/Write Patterns: JSON fits read-heavy, schema-volatile scenarios.
Summary
Modern databases blur the line between SQL and NoSQL. Leveraging JSON types provides great flexibility without sacrificing the rigor of relational models.
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