The ongoing discussion around SQL alternatives and improvements has sparked a vibrant debate in the developer community, particularly focusing on query reusability and composability challenges. As new tools like Trilogy emerge to address SQL's limitations, developers are sharing their experiences and wishes for more flexible data manipulation solutions.
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| Exploring the complexities of query reusability in data manipulation |
The Reusability Challenge
One of the most pressing concerns raised by the community is the lack of proper query reusability across different database tables. Developers frequently encounter scenarios where they need to apply similar analytical queries to different source tables, but current SQL alternatives don't provide elegant solutions for this common use case. The community has highlighted how this limitation affects daily development work, especially when dealing with similar data structures across different tables or schemas.
The CRUD Dilemma
A significant observation from the community discussion points to how most SQL alternatives primarily focus on the R (Read) part of CRUD operations, while potentially neglecting Create, Update, and Delete functionalities. This imbalance creates challenges for developers who need to manage both data analysis and data manipulation tasks within the same project.
For projects where a single person handles data creation, analysis, and management, it feels cumbersome to use one set of tools for querying and another for creation, updates, and deletions.
Emerging Solutions
Several tools are attempting to address these challenges, including PRQL, Malloy, and Trilogy. PRQL, for instance, has made strides in implementing table polymorphism - allowing developers to write queries that can work with abstract interfaces rather than specific tables. This approach shows promise in solving the reusability problem, though the community notes that complete solutions are still evolving.
The Role of Functions and Views
While traditional SQL functions and views offer some solutions to reusability challenges, the community discussion reveals their limitations. PostgreSQL's PL/pgSQL functions are mentioned as a potential solution, but practitioners note that deployment and debugging complexities often make them less practical in real-world scenarios.
Looking Forward
The community's engagement with these issues suggests a growing demand for more sophisticated query composition tools that can handle both simple and complex use cases. While current solutions are making progress, there's still room for innovation in creating truly reusable and maintainable database query systems.
The discussion highlights how the ideal solution would combine the familiarity of SQL with modern programming concepts like abstraction and reusability, while maintaining performance and reliability.
Reference: Demo - Exploring the TPC-DS Dataset