SQL is a great tool to have in your toolbox. From creating adhoc reports to building any kind of backend, it always seems to come in handy.

There are obviously non relational databases available and other approaches to persisting information, but there are some desirable characteristics of traditional relational databases.

Oftentimes I find if I’m struggling it is because of a missing abstraction. Views, functions, etc. are available to extract higher level ideas and remove duplication.