Materialized Views
Materialized views are database objects that store the results of a query as a physical table, providing a precomputed snapshot of data for faster access. They are commonly used in relational databases like PostgreSQL, Oracle, and MySQL to improve query performance by caching complex joins, aggregations, or calculations. Unlike regular views, which execute queries on-demand, materialized views persist data and can be refreshed periodically or on-demand to reflect changes in the underlying tables.
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. They are ideal for scenarios where real-time data is not critical, as they reduce database load and latency by serving precomputed results. For example, in e-commerce platforms, materialized views can cache product inventory summaries to speed up dashboard queries without impacting transactional operations.