Working with the Amazon DynamoDB Database

The very first database I have ever worked with was DynamoDB. Offered by Amazon Web Services (AWS), DynamoDB is known as a NoSQL database.

How do NoSQL databases differ from SQL databases? There are a few key differences: to begin, SQL databases are relational, while NoSQL databases are not. A relational database is typically organized as a set of tables with columns and rows, with the data items having a predefined relationship between them. This means that all of your data follows a strict structure, which can sometimes make it easier to make complex queries. On the other hand, non-relational databases provide a different method of storing, searching and retrieving data in a table. Instead of the structured query language of SQL, NoSQL databases are dynamic and have more unstructured data.

Another difference is scalability of the two different types of databases. SQL databases are vertically scalable, which means that by increasing RAM or CPU, one can increase the load of the database. NoSQL databases are horizontally scalable, meaning that you can increase the load by adding more servers or “sharding” (partitioning the database into smaller, more manageable parts).

As mentioned before, SQL databases are predefined into rows and columns, while NoSQL databases are more unstructured. DynamoDB stores data in the form of key-value pairs. Free-form values, from integers to strings to even JSON documents, can be accessed by a unique key.

What is additionally beneficial about DynamoDB is the fact that it is serverless, automatically backs up and is very scalable for your needs. A serverless database means that instead of focusing on maintaining the server for the database, you can focus instead on inputting and reading data. DynamoDB also is able to back up your data automatically, which means there is no need to manually “save” whenever you input or modify any data. Finally, DynamoDB was designed to scale to near infinity; the database is pay-per-use, so it is relatively cheap if you are storing small sets of data.

Above is an example of the JavaScript code I used to make the table for my personal to-do app (for practice). As you can see, it’s pretty easy to just declare a constant with the parameters needed and data you want to input into the table, provided you’ve accessed your DynamoDB Console using the appropriate AWS keys.

I further used DynamoDB’s documentation to put, scan and delete data — mostly with ease after getting the hang of it. Hopefully this gives you more insight on the database, and provides inspiration for your future projects!

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