Java ORM related question - SQL Vs Google DB (Big Table?) GAE
- by StackerFlow
I was wondering about the following two options when one is not using SQL tables but ORM based DBs (Example - when you are using GAE)
Would the second option be less efficient?
Requirement:
There is an object. The object has a collection of similar items. I need to store this object. Example, say the object is a tree and it has a collection of leaves.
Option 1:
Traditional SQL type structure:
Table for the Tree (with TreeId as the
identifier for a row in the Table.)
Table for the Leaves (where each leaf
has a TreeId and to show the leaves
of a tree, I query all leaves where
the TreeId is the Id of the tree.)
Here, the Tree structure DOES NOT
have a field with leaves.
Option 2:
ORM / GAE Tables:
Using the same example above,
I have an object for Tree where the object has a collection (Set/List in Java/C++) of leaves.
I store and retrieve the Tree together with the leaves (as the leaves are implemented as a Set in the Tree object)
My question is, will the second one be less efficient that the first option?
If so, why? Are there other alternatives?
Thank you!
