Database Indexing vs Materialized Views

Developers should learn and use database indexing when building applications with performance-critical queries, especially for large datasets where full table scans would be too slow meets developers should use materialized views when dealing with slow, complex queries in read-heavy applications, such as reporting dashboards, data analytics, or caching frequently accessed data. Here's our take.

Database Indexing

Nice Pick

Developers should learn and use database indexing when building applications with performance-critical queries, especially for large datasets where full table scans would be too slow

Pros

• It is essential for optimizing read-heavy operations, such as searching, filtering, or sorting data in relational databases like MySQL, PostgreSQL, or SQL Server
• Related to: sql-optimization, query-performance

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

Materialized Views

Developers should use materialized views when dealing with slow, complex queries in read-heavy applications, such as reporting dashboards, data analytics, or caching frequently accessed data

Pros

• They are ideal for scenarios where real-time data is not critical, as they reduce database load and latency by serving precomputed results
• Related to: postgresql, oracle-database

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

These tools serve different purposes. Database Indexing is a concept while Materialized Views is a database. We picked Database Indexing based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

Database Indexing wins

Based on overall popularity. Database Indexing is more widely used, but Materialized Views excels in its own space.