Decision Tree

Need unique identifier?    → Use surrogate key (SERIAL/UUID)
Need M:N relationship?     → Create junction table
Need query optimization?   → Index FK and WHERE columns
Need audit trail?          → Add created_at, updated_at columns
Need soft deletes?         → Add deleted_at column
Need data safety?          → Define ON DELETE behavior

Database Design & Architecture Patterns

This guide establishes the architectural standards for designing efficient, scalable, and maintainable databases.

1. Normalization & Schema Design