How to Apply MySQL Best Practices in PostgreSQL

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What are the most important MySQL best practices?

MySQL best practices are proven guidelines for writing performant, maintainable, and secure SQL code.

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Description

Example H2

Example H3

What are the core MySQL best practices?

Use proper data types, add indexes on frequently filtered columns, keep transactions short, always back up, and monitor performance with EXPLAIN and slow query logs.

How do I choose the right data type?

Select the smallest data type that safely stores the data.Use INT for identifiers, DECIMAL(10,2) for money, VARCHAR with realistic length, and TINYINT(1) for booleans.

When should I index a column?

Index columns used in WHERE, JOIN, and ORDER BY clauses.Composite indexes should match the query's left-most columns.

Practical example

For fast order lookups, create an index on Orders(customer_id, order_date).

How can I optimize SELECT queries?

Retrieve only required columns, use LIMIT for pagination, avoid SELECT *, and run EXPLAIN to inspect query plans.

Why use prepared statements?

Prepared statements reduce parsing overhead and prevent SQL injection.Use parameterized queries in application code and in MySQL with PREPARE / EXECUTE.

How do transactions improve reliability?

Wrap related DML in START TRANSACTION … COMMIT to ensure atomic updates and maintain consistency when inserting orders and their items.

How should I back up and restore?

Use mysqldump --single-transaction for logical backups of InnoDB tables and mysqlbinlog for point-in-time recovery.

Which schema design rules matter most?

Normalize to 3NF, use surrogate primary keys, enforce foreign keys, and prefer snake_case naming.Document schema changes in version control.

How do I monitor performance?

Enable slow_query_log, set a sane long_query_time, review plans with EXPLAIN ANALYZE, and use information_schema tables for index statistics.

Best practice checklist

Consistent naming conventions
Proper datatypes & lengths
Relevant indexing
Parameterized queries
Short transactions
Regular backups
Continuous monitoring

Why How to Apply MySQL Best Practices in PostgreSQL is important

How to Apply MySQL Best Practices in PostgreSQL Example Usage


-- Find top 5 customers by total spend in the last 90 days
SELECT c.id, c.name, SUM(o.total_amount) AS lifetime_value
FROM Customers c
JOIN Orders o ON o.customer_id = c.id
WHERE o.order_date >= CURDATE() - INTERVAL 90 DAY
GROUP BY c.id, c.name
ORDER BY lifetime_value DESC
LIMIT 5;

How to Apply MySQL Best Practices in PostgreSQL Syntax


-- Index creation
CREATE INDEX idx_orders_customer_date
    ON Orders (customer_id, order_date);

-- Prepared statement
PREPARE stmt FROM 'SELECT * FROM Orders WHERE customer_id = ? LIMIT ?';
SET @cid = 42, @lim = 10;
EXECUTE stmt USING @cid, @lim;
DEALLOCATE PREPARE stmt;

-- Transaction sample
START TRANSACTION;
INSERT INTO Orders (customer_id, order_date, total_amount)
VALUES (42, NOW(), 199.98);
SET @order_id = LAST_INSERT_ID();
INSERT INTO OrderItems (order_id, product_id, quantity)
VALUES (@order_id, 7, 2);
COMMIT;

Common Mistakes

Creating too many indexes. Over-indexing slows inserts and bloats storage. Index only columns used in filtering or joins and periodically review unused indexes.
Using SELECT * in production queries. It transfers unnecessary data, breaks when columns change, and hinders index-only scans. Always specify needed columns.