postgresql-table-design

Normalize to third normal form to eliminate redundancy, select appropriate primary keys (BIGINT IDENTITY for most cases, UUID for global uniqueness), apply NOT NULL and UNIQUE constraints, and index foreign keys and frequently queried columns. Denormalize selectively only when read performance justifies it.

Use BIGINT for identifiers, TIMESTAMPTZ for time values, NUMERIC for precise decimals, TEXT for strings, and DOUBLE PRECISION for floating-point numbers. PostgreSQL also supports JSONB for semi-structured data and range types for interval storage.

Index foreign key columns, primary keys (automatic), and columns frequently used in WHERE clauses or JOIN conditions. Consider expression indexes for computed columns and multi-column indexes for common filter combinations; balance read speed against write overhead.

Normalize by default to 3NF to maintain data integrity and reduce storage. Denormalize only for high-ROI read-heavy workloads after profiling; use MVCC awareness and JSONB to store related data without breaking normalization rules.

Use NOT NULL to enforce required values, PRIMARY KEY for uniqueness and identity, UNIQUE for alternate keys, FOREIGN KEY to maintain referential integrity, and CHECK constraints to enforce domain rules. Constraints prevent invalid data at the database layer.

Yes. PostgreSQL supports table partitioning for large datasets, array and domain types for custom data structures, JSONB for flexible semi-structured storage, and range types for interval queries, enabling specialized schema designs for specific workloads.