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Juliet Ofoegbu
Juliet Ofoegbu

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Structuring Relational Data Properly

Most application problems don’t start in the frontend or API layer.

They start in the database.

When relational data isn’t structured properly, you get

  • Duplicate records
  • Inconsistent reporting
  • Complex queries
  • Systems that are hard to maintain

Good structure means:

  • Proper primary and foreign keys
  • Clear tables with single responsibilities
  • Relationships that reflect real business logic
  • A design that can scale over time

Your database is the foundation of your system. If it’s weak, everything built on top becomes fragile.

I wrote a deeper breakdown on how to structure relational data effectively using a Pixar-inspired example as a fun analogy here 👉: https://thebcms.com/blog/structuring-relational-data

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