>> usually joining half dozen of tables, each with a few data, but their mappings and underlying relationship are usually not explicitly-defined, making joins a

>> usually joining half dozen of tables, each with a few data, but their mappings and underlying relationship are usually not explicitly-defined, making joins across multiple tables super slow Rather than "joins don't scale" it's more like "bad data design don't scale" Every few years I get the urge to create a RDBMS API that only allows data design using functional dependencies and defined types and possibly rules, i.e. only lets devs do "logical design". Usually happens when I discover some project dependent on EAVIL or giant master table syndrome. I've got a legion of cynical jokes about "emergent data design" and "Plato's Cave Shadows ERD", HHOS.