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Databases Intermediate

What is B-Tree Index?

The default index type in most databases that organizes data in a balanced tree structure for efficient searching, sorting, and range queries.

B-tree (balanced tree) indexes maintain sorted data in a tree structure where each node can have multiple children. They support equality (=), range (<, >, BETWEEN), ORDER BY, and prefix LIKE queries efficiently.

B-tree indexes are the default in PostgreSQL, MySQL, and most databases. They work well for most use cases but are not optimal for full-text search (use GIN), array/JSON queries (use GIN), or geospatial queries (use GiST). Over-indexing hurts write performance.

Related Terms

Crosstab Query
A query that transforms rows into columns, creating a pivot table view of aggregated data.
Deadlock
A situation where two or more transactions permanently block each other by each holding locks that the other needs.
MVCC (Multi-Version Concurrency Control)
A technique where the database maintains multiple versions of data to allow concurrent reads and writes without locking.
Upsert
A database operation that inserts a new row if it does not exist, or updates the existing row if it does.
Database Connection Pooling
A technique that maintains a cache of database connections for reuse, reducing the overhead of creating new connections.
CTE (Common Table Expression)
A temporary named result set defined within a SQL statement using the WITH clause, improving query readability and enabling recursion.
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