Schema Design Guide

Master the art of database schema design with Endora's visual builder.

Learn how to create efficient, scalable database schemas that power your APIs. This guide covers everything from basic table creation to complex relationship modeling.

🎯 What You'll Learn

• ✅ Visual schema design principles
• ✅ Table and column creation
• ✅ Relationship modeling
• ✅ Data validation and constraints
• ✅ Performance optimization
• ✅ Schema best practices

📹 Schema Design Overview

🎥

Schema Design Fundamentals

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Understand the fundamentals of database schema design and how Endora's visual builder makes it easy.

🏗️ Understanding Database Schemas

What is a Schema?

A database schema is the blueprint of your database. It defines:

• Tables: Containers for your data
• Columns: Individual data fields
• Relationships: How tables connect
• Constraints: Rules and validations

Why Schema Design Matters

Foundation of Your API

Your schema design directly impacts your API's performance, scalability, and usability.

Data Integrity

Proper schema design ensures data consistency and prevents errors.

Future-Proofing

Well-designed schemas are easier to extend and modify as your application grows.

📹 Visual Schema Builder

🎥

Visual Schema Builder Interface

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Explore Endora's intuitive visual schema builder and learn how to navigate the interface.

🚀 Getting Started with Schema Design

1. Create a New Schema

1. Open Schema Builder: Click "Schema Builder" in your project
2. Click "New Schema": Start with a blank canvas
3. Name Your Schema: Choose a descriptive name
4. Begin Designing: Start adding tables and relationships

2. Schema Planning

Before you start building, consider:

• What data do you need to store?
• How will the data be used?
• What relationships exist between data?
• What validations are required?

📹 Schema Planning Process

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Planning Your Database Schema

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Learn how to plan your database schema before you start building.

🏗️ Building Your Tables

Adding Tables

1. Click "Add Table": Create a new table
2. Name Your Table: Use descriptive, plural names (e.g., "users", "products")
3. Add Columns: Define the data structure
4. Set Constraints: Add validation rules

Table Design Best Practices

Use Plural Names

Table names should be plural (users, products, orders)

Include Timestamps

Always add created_at and updated_at columns

Add Primary Keys

Every table needs a unique identifier

📹 Table Creation Process

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Creating Tables and Columns

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Watch how to create tables and define columns with proper data types and constraints.

Common Table Patterns

User Management

users
├── id (Primary Key)
├── email (Unique)
├── name
├── password_hash
├── created_at
└── updated_at

E-commerce

products
├── id (Primary Key)
├── name
├── description
├── price
├── category_id (Foreign Key)
├── created_at
└── updated_at

Content Management

posts
├── id (Primary Key)
├── title
├── content
├── author_id (Foreign Key)
├── published_at
├── created_at
└── updated_at

🔗 Creating Relationships

Relationship Types

One-to-One

Each record in Table A relates to exactly one record in Table B.

users ←→ profiles

One-to-Many

One record in Table A can relate to many records in Table B.

users ←→ posts
categories ←→ products

Many-to-Many

Records in both tables can relate to multiple records in the other.

users ←→ roles (through user_roles)
posts ←→ tags (through post_tags)

📹 Relationship Modeling

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Creating Database Relationships

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Learn how to create and manage relationships between tables in your schema.

Setting Up Relationships

1. Identify Connections: Determine how tables should relate
2. Add Foreign Keys: Create references between tables
3. Set Cascade Rules: Define update and delete behavior
4. Test Relationships: Verify connections work correctly

Relationship Best Practices

Use Descriptive Foreign Keys

Foreign key names should clearly indicate the relationship (user_id, product_id)

Consider Cascade Rules

Decide how updates and deletes should propagate through relationships

Add Indexes

Index foreign key columns for better query performance

📊 Data Types and Constraints

Supported Data Types

Type	Description	Example
string	Text data	"Hello World"
integer	Whole numbers	42
float	Decimal numbers	3.14
boolean	True/false values	true
date	Date values	"2024-01-01"
datetime	Date and time	"2024-01-01T12:00:00Z"
json	JSON objects	{"key": "value"}
uuid	Unique identifiers	"550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000"

Common Constraints

• Primary Key: Unique identifier for each record
• Foreign Key: Reference to another table
• Unique: No duplicate values allowed
• Not Null: Field is required
• Default Value: Automatic value assignment
• Check: Custom validation rules

📹 Data Validation

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Setting Up Data Validation

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Learn how to add constraints and validation rules to ensure data integrity.

🚀 Advanced Schema Features

Indexes for Performance

Add indexes to frequently queried columns:

• Primary Keys: Automatically indexed
• Foreign Keys: Should be indexed
• Search Fields: Index columns used in WHERE clauses
• Sort Fields: Index columns used in ORDER BY

Schema Optimization

Normalize Your Data

Eliminate redundancy by organizing data into related tables

Denormalize for Performance

Sometimes it's better to duplicate data for faster queries

Plan for Growth

Design schemas that can handle increasing data volumes

📹 Schema Optimization

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Optimizing Your Schema

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Learn advanced techniques for optimizing your database schema for performance and scalability.

🧪 Testing Your Schema

Schema Validation

Before generating your API, validate your schema:

1. Check Relationships: Ensure all foreign keys are valid
2. Verify Constraints: Confirm all validation rules are correct
3. Test Data Types: Ensure appropriate data types are used
4. Review Performance: Check for missing indexes

Common Schema Issues

• Missing Primary Keys: Every table needs a unique identifier
• Orphaned Records: Foreign keys without valid references
• Data Type Mismatches: Inconsistent data types across relationships
• Missing Indexes: Poor query performance

📹 Schema Testing

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Testing Your Schema

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Learn how to validate and test your schema before generating your API.

🎯 Schema Design Patterns

User Management System

users
├── id (Primary Key)
├── email (Unique)
├── name
├── password_hash
├── created_at
└── updated_at

profiles
├── id (Primary Key)
├── user_id (Foreign Key → users.id)
├── bio
├── avatar_url
├── created_at
└── updated_at

roles
├── id (Primary Key)
├── name (Unique)
├── permissions
├── created_at
└── updated_at

user_roles
├── user_id (Foreign Key → users.id)
├── role_id (Foreign Key → roles.id)
└── assigned_at

E-commerce System

products
├── id (Primary Key)
├── name
├── description
├── price
├── category_id (Foreign Key → categories.id)
├── created_at
└── updated_at

categories
├── id (Primary Key)
├── name
├── parent_id (Foreign Key → categories.id)
├── created_at
└── updated_at

orders
├── id (Primary Key)
├── user_id (Foreign Key → users.id)
├── total_amount
├── status
├── created_at
└── updated_at

order_items
├── id (Primary Key)
├── order_id (Foreign Key → orders.id)
├── product_id (Foreign Key → products.id)
├── quantity
├── price
└── created_at

🚀 Best Practices Summary

Design Principles

1. Start Simple: Begin with essential tables and add complexity gradually
2. Use Descriptive Names: Choose clear, meaningful names for tables and columns
3. Plan Relationships: Think about data connections before building
4. Add Validation: Include appropriate constraints and validation rules
5. Consider Performance: Add indexes for frequently queried columns

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• ❌ Over-normalization: Too many small tables can hurt performance
• ❌ Under-normalization: Duplicate data leads to inconsistency
• ❌ Poor Naming: Unclear names make schemas hard to understand
• ❌ Missing Constraints: Lack of validation leads to data quality issues
• ❌ No Indexes: Poor query performance on large datasets

🎯 Next Steps

Ready to Generate Your API?

1. Review Your Schema: Double-check all relationships and constraints
2. Save Your Schema: Click "Save Schema" to store your design
3. Generate API: Move on to API Generation →
4. Test Endpoints: Use the built-in testing interface

Learn More

• API Generation Guide →
• API Reference →
• Authentication Setup →

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Ready to turn your schema into an API? Generate your API → 🚀