Data Indexing
Data indexing is a database optimization technique that creates a data structure (an index) to improve the speed of data retrieval operations on a database table. It works by storing a sorted copy of selected columns, allowing the database to quickly locate rows without scanning the entire table. This is crucial for efficient querying in large datasets, similar to how an index in a book helps find information faster.
Developers should learn and use data indexing when working with databases that handle large volumes of data, especially in applications requiring fast read operations like e-commerce platforms, analytics systems, or real-time APIs. It reduces query latency and improves performance, but it's important to balance this with the overhead of maintaining indexes during write operations, which can slow down inserts, updates, and deletes.