How Appwrite's database relationships can supercharge your mobile app development
Tags: appwrite, appwritedatabase, mobile
Published: 2023-06-16 12:47:05

The development of our mobile applications heavily relies on the relationships within the database because they reduce the repetition of data in our existing tables. Additionally, it decreases the volume of transactions while enhancing data integrity because joins, searches, and data sorting become a high cost as our data grows. With the [Appwrite database relationship,](https://appwrite.io/docs/databases-relationships?utm_source=hackmamba&utm_medium=hackmamba-blog) we can enhance the functionality and efficiency of our mobile app development as it allows us to quickly establish connections between different pieces of data in our database. 

In this article, we will learn how the Appwrite database can supercharge our mobile app development, the benefits, and best practices for using Appwrite's database relationship. 


## Benefits of using Appwrite's database relationships

The [database relationships](https://appwrite.io/docs/databases-relationships?utm_source=hackmamba&utm_medium=hackmamba-blog) offered by [Appwrite](https://appwrite.io/?utm_source=hackmamba&utm_medium=hackmamba-blog) offer a robust and convenient solution to manage data in creating our mobile applications. In addition, we can develop advanced apps with tons of features. Using Appwrite's database relationship has additional advantages, some of which include the following.


1. **Data handling made easier:** the Appwrite Database relationship allows us to easily link and recover data from different collections in our database; this simplifies the process and reduces the time used to manage and manipulate data. 
2. **Increased effectiveness:** With database relationships, we can avoid having to run several queries or join tables, which can enhance the speed and effectiveness of our app by merely lowering the amount of data repeated.
3. **Extensibility:** Appwrite's database relationships are designed to be extensible, allowing us to handle a large amount of data and traffic as our app grows and evolves. It encourages a systematic approach to managing our data.
4. **Flexibility:** The Appwrite NoSQL document-based database provides a flexible and schema-less approach to data modelling. This can be particularly useful when dealing with complex and evolving data structures.

## How Appwrite's database relationships work

Appwrite is an open-source backend server that provides us with tools and services for creating web and mobile applications. Its database module allows us to store and manage our data securely. One of the distinctive benefits of utilizing the Appwrite database module is the ability to define relationships between different collections. 

[Appwrite database relationships](https://appwrite.io/docs/databases-relationships?utm_source=hackmamba&utm_medium=hackmamba-blog) simplify building complex applications that require data stored in multiple collections. By defining relationships between collections, we can create an integrated data model that enables flexible data retrieval and manipulation. 

Appwrite's database schema is built around the concept of [collections](https://appwrite.io/docs/databases#collection?utm_source=hackmamba&utm_medium=hackmamba-blog) and [documents](https://appwrite.io/docs/databases#create-documents?utm_source=hackmamba&utm_medium=hackmamba-blog). A collection is a set of connected documents equivalent to a table in a conventional relational database. Each document in this collection is a JSON object that includes information about a particular item in the collection. 

To model data in Appwrite, we must define the structure of each document using a JSON Schema, which is a great format for describing the shape and content of JSON data. This allows us to define the type of data stored in each field and any validation policy or restrictions that should be applied to the data. It also supports various indexing and querying features, allowing us to retrieve data based on multiple criteria quickly. For example, we can create indexes of unspecific fields to speed up queries that filter or sort data based on those fields.

There are types of database relationships available in Appwrite:


1. [One-to-one relationship:](https://appwrite.io/docs/databases-relationships#types?utm_source=hackmamba&utm_medium=hackmamba-blog) This relationship is the simplest to describe in databases because each record in one collection is connected with one and only one form in another collection, and vice versa. Each profile is unique and represents a single identity in a one-to-one relationship.
2. [One-to-many relationship](https://appwrite.io/docs/databases-relationships#types?utm_source=hackmamba&utm_medium=hackmamba-blog): A relationship between two data collections, where one item from one collection is connected to many items in another. Consider a blog post with comments in each post. In this case, the connection between the blog post collection and comments collection would be one-to-many.
3. [Many-to-one relationship](https://appwrite.io/docs/databases-relationships#types?utm_source=hackmamba&utm_medium=hackmamba-blog) refers to a relationship between two collections in which numerous records in one collection can be linked with a single record in another collection. This type of relationship is commonly used when there is a need to link data between two entities in a database. 
4. [Many-to-many relationship](https://appwrite.io/docs/databases-relationships#types?utm_source=hackmamba&utm_medium=hackmamba-blog): In a many-to-many relationship, a single record in one collection can be linked to several records in another collection and vice versa. For instance, think of a school database where students can enroll for multiple courses, and each of those courses can have multiple students. 

By understanding these relationship types, we can choose the one that suits our application's needs and build an efficient database management system. 


## Best practices for using Appwrite's database relationships

While Appwrite database relationships are a powerful feature that allows us to create relationships between different collections in our database, there are certain practices we must follow to ensure that our data is well-organized and easy to query:


- **Data model planning:** When building our database relationship, it is necessary that we plan our data model carefully. We can plan our data model by identifying the business requirement, understanding the data that must be saved, used and consumed, and then defining the objects that will be included in the data model, creating database relationships and refining and documenting the data mode. All this will help ensure that our data is organized to fit our app and that we use the right types of relationships.


- **Understand and differentiate the Types of Relationships:** Appwrite offers various types of relationships, as listed and explained in the previous section. We must carefully differentiate the different data types and choose the one that suits our application needs.


- **Integrate Appwrite's Built-in Methods:** Appwrite provides us with various built-in methods to create and manage relationships, including createDocument and updateDocument. If you prefer not to manage your relationship manually, use this method. 


- **Use IDs to create Relationships:** We should use the ID of the related document and not the data types of values when creating a relationship. This method will help ensure that the relationships are accurately created and managed. This can simplify the process of updating or deleting related documents.


## Use Cases for Appwrite's Database Relationships

The database relationship offered by Appwrite has a wide range of applications. Consider a school or online learning platform as one of the use cases. We can establish two collections in these contexts by employing the one-to-many relationship. There are a few to mention which are:


- Social networking app
- E-commerce website
- Project management board 
- Blog post

The Appwrite database relationship has a wide range of additional applications, so it's important to understand them all and choose the one that best fits our needs. 


## Conclusion

Appwrite's database relationships can potentially revolutionize the creation of mobile apps. Appwrite can handle a variety of uses causes and helps us build powerful mobile apps. The Appwrite database relationship can assist us in streamlining our data administration and ensuring the seamless operation of our app. Using Appwrite's database relationships will help to advance our mobile app. 


## Resources

Here are a few resources to help us get started with the Appwrite relationship database 


- Learn more about the Appwrite database with the [30daysofappwrite article](https://dev.to/appwrite/30daysofappwrite-appwrite-database-22an)
- Simplify your data management with these [Appwrite resources](https://dev.to/appwrite/simplify-your-data-management-with-relationships-11ma)
- Understanding [**Database Relationship Types & How They Are Established**](https://phoenixnap.com/kb/database-relationships)