Designing Robust Database Indexing Strategies: Primary Keys, Functional Indexes, and Case Sensitivity

Databases are integral to modern applications, and thoughtful schema design is critical for ensuring performance, consistency, and scalability. This article explores key aspects of database indexing strategies, including primary keys, unique constraints, functional indexes, and handling case-sensitive and case-insensitive data. It also addresses the migration impacts of switching between these approaches, providing actionable examples.

1. Evaluating Primary Keys

What is a Primary Key?

A primary key uniquely identifies each row in a table. It ensures:

• Uniqueness: No two rows can have the same primary key value.
• Non-Nullability: Every row must have a valid value for the primary key column(s).

Most relational databases automatically create a primary index to optimize lookups and enforce these properties.

Key Considerations for Choosing a Primary Key

1. Uniqueness: The key must uniquely identify each row in the table.
2. Immutability: Primary keys should not change during the lifetime of a row.