The State Changers discussed managing data using Xano, a backend-as-a-service platform. Participants wanted to understand how to pull data from other tables using this platform. Concepts around relational databases, normalization, and foreign key relationships came up to explain how separate tables can have references to each other. For example, they explored the idea of having a 'z test' table bridging users and businesses, allowing for connections between various data points across different tables.
They also discussed the complexities arising from maintaining these relationships, especially writing to the table and maintaining referential integrity. API interfaces were highlighted as the primary method to access the information from Xano. Functions within Xano were also suggested for testing data linkage without raising security concerns or creating new exposures. The concept of data 'locking' or avoiding simultaneous updates to prevent data corruption came up and was clarified that the system automatically prevents it, but excessive locking could lead to performance issues. Historical perspectives were considered, where the efficiency and economy of storage in relational databases versus 'flat-file' systems was discussed. However, given the relatively cheap and virtually unlimited storage today, it was agreed that maintaining data integrity was more important than optimizing storage, and that replication of data wasn't an issue. Overall, there was a consensus that progress on achieving product deployment goals was the North Star metric. Moreover, the need for a process or code to be 'perfect' from the outset was discouraged in favor of making messy starts, evolving, refining, and being open to technical debt as an effective approach for software development. It was acknowledged that tolerating messy and less efficient solutions was acceptable as long as it didn't hinder progress, emphasizing that technical debt was a natural part of a software project lifecycle. Instead of obsessing about a perfect solution from the outset, the conversation recognized the value in getting something functional out quickly and refining it over time in light of changing business needs and enhanced understanding.
(Source: Office Hours 7/26 )
