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Flarum is not ready for production yet, and using NodeJS is far from the cheap stack of LAMP. Also, id like to hear what's the reasoning behind using MongoDB f

by iagovar 10y ago

Flarum is not ready for production yet, and using NodeJS is far from the cheap stack of LAMP. Also, id like to hear what's the reasoning behind using MongoDB for a forum. I mean, I'm just learning this stuff but a forum seems to be a perfect case for a relational DB.

YCode 10y ago
I don't know about "perfect", it certainly can fit the relational mold though. I'll take a shot in the dark and say that the advantage of using a NoSQL platform to host a forum is that you can very quickly load all resources relating to a post by storing them in one database document. That does mean you probably need to polyfill certain functionality, but the traditional case for NoSQL is made by saying a blog can load a given post's comments, media, etc. with one query. Forums are a similar animal.
- iagovar 10y ago
  Mmm, but then, why not use NoSQL for everything? I say again, I'm just a beginner into programming but it seems that PostgreSQL would require a shitload of work to really go slow. Also in forums you know your data schema, nothing will change in terms of what data you need.
  - YCode 10y ago
    It's true traditional databases require you to think through your solution before you go implementing it, but this is not necessarily a bad thing. NoSQL is great for prototyping and being productive fast, but that productivity comes with a lot of pitfalls. Pitfalls by the way that many devs have been blissfully ignorant of for decades because they have been insulated from them by normalized relational databases. Unless you are experienced with/aware of those pitfalls, I would almost make a blanket statement that a traditional SQL database should be the default solution for the backend until you can explain why NoSQL is a better fit for a given project. Also, what makes you think PostgreSQL is slow? What is "slow" to you?
    - iagovar 9y ago
      Thank you for the explanation. And I meant just the opposite with postgresql. I use it as a sort of data warehouse with a lot of work in a really modest VPS and it works perfectly.
- EpicEng 10y ago
  But when has this actually been a problem to solve? I've been a regular on tens, maybe a hundred forums over the last 20 years. The vast majority of them don't have performance issues.

by iagovar 10y ago

YCode 10y ago

I don't know about "perfect", it certainly can fit the relational mold though. I'll take a shot in the dark and say that the advantage of using a NoSQL platform to host a forum is that you can very quickly load all resources relating to a post by storing them in one database document. That does mean you probably need to polyfill certain functionality, but the traditional case for NoSQL is made by saying a blog can load a given post's comments, media, etc. with one query. Forums are a similar animal.

iagovar 10y ago
Mmm, but then, why not use NoSQL for everything? I say again, I'm just a beginner into programming but it seems that PostgreSQL would require a shitload of work to really go slow. Also in forums you know your data schema, nothing will change in terms of what data you need.
- YCode 10y ago
  It's true traditional databases require you to think through your solution before you go implementing it, but this is not necessarily a bad thing. NoSQL is great for prototyping and being productive fast, but that productivity comes with a lot of pitfalls. Pitfalls by the way that many devs have been blissfully ignorant of for decades because they have been insulated from them by normalized relational databases. Unless you are experienced with/aware of those pitfalls, I would almost make a blanket statement that a traditional SQL database should be the default solution for the backend until you can explain why NoSQL is a better fit for a given project. Also, what makes you think PostgreSQL is slow? What is "slow" to you?
  - iagovar 9y ago
    Thank you for the explanation. And I meant just the opposite with postgresql. I use it as a sort of data warehouse with a lot of work in a really modest VPS and it works perfectly.
EpicEng 10y ago
But when has this actually been a problem to solve? I've been a regular on tens, maybe a hundred forums over the last 20 years. The vast majority of them don't have performance issues.