Databases & Data Storage
Document Database
Definition
A document database (or document store) is a type of NoSQL database that is designed to store and query data as JSON-like documents. Documents are self-contained and can have different structures.
Why It Matters
Document databases provide a flexible and intuitive way to store complex, hierarchical data. Because the data for a single record is stored in a single document, they are often very fast for reads and writes, and their flexible schema makes development easier.
Contextual Example
A blog post, with its title, content, tags, and embedded comments, can be naturally stored as a single document in a document database like MongoDB. This is more intuitive than splitting it across multiple tables in a relational database.
Common Misunderstandings
- MongoDB is the most popular document database.
- The "documents" are typically in a format like JSON or BSON (Binary JSON).