Databases Intermediate

What is Soft Delete?

A pattern where records are marked as deleted with a flag or timestamp rather than being physically removed from the database.

Soft delete adds a deleted_at timestamp or is_deleted boolean to tables. Queries filter out deleted records: WHERE deleted_at IS NULL. This preserves data for auditing, undo functionality, and referential integrity.

Trade-offs include increased storage, more complex queries (must always filter), unique constraint challenges, and GDPR compliance concerns (soft-deleted data still exists). Alternatives include audit tables (copy before delete) and event sourcing.

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A data structure that improves the speed of data retrieval operations on database tables at the cost of additional storage.

A centralized repository optimized for analytical queries that integrates data from multiple operational sources.

ORM (Object-Relational Mapping)

A technique that lets you interact with a database using object-oriented code instead of writing raw SQL queries.

A database object that enables row-by-row processing of query results, useful for operations that cannot be done in bulk.

Stored Procedure

A precompiled collection of SQL statements stored in the database that can be executed as a single unit.

A column that creates a link between two tables by referencing the primary key of another table.

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