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Databases Introduction

Relational vs Non-Relational​

A relational database (PostgreSQL, MySQL) stores data in tables with rows and columns. Tables relate to each other via foreign keys.

A document database (MongoDB) stores data as JSON-like documents.

When to Use PostgreSQL​

  • Financial data (ACID guarantees)
  • Complex relations
  • Need for complex queries
  • Strong consistency required

PostgreSQL Setup​

# Docker (recommended)
docker run --name postgres -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=password -p 5432:5432 -d postgres:16

# Connect
psql -h localhost -U postgres

# Create database
CREATE DATABASE myapp;