Tell HN: The way I do simple data management for new prototypes

Hi folks! I have huge success on a prototype of this approach:

- Store all data as json

- App loads: load full json on a client

- Something changes by user - change json locally and every 10 seconds save whole json to backend as a single json file

- also every 10 seconds load the updated json from backend to client.

Yes, I know, parallel access problems, lack of schema, lack of db, using file to store. But how much it makes life easier and speed ups development at start! I am in this over 20 years, and I like dumb stupid solutions applied properly. Duct taping forever!

14 points | by AndreyK1984 3 days ago

6 comments

  • tacostakohashi 3 days ago
    Nice!

    Files are pretty handy. It's a bit surprising how many people seem to have forgotten they are a thing... but not that surprising, given how hard big tech have tried to uninvent them.

    [-]
    • AndreyK1984 2 days ago
      Yep. If I have only one express js process - I can just save and load. if it is 1-5 users - lets story all in a single JSON (although sometimes I use excel for storage). People underestimate simplicity
  • awright96 3 days ago
    That's certainly one of the development strategies of all time
  • mikert89 2 days ago
    honeslty with ai, i bet this works really well and basically removes all backend complexity
  • crabl 3 days ago
    you can also chuck a json blob into LocalStorage
    [-]
    • AndreyK1984 2 days ago
      Thank you, yes and indexed db too, as in other comment.

      I like to have exactly two API calls.

      -- load data (returns json)

      -- save data (sends json, returns 200 ok)

      That is all! Let frontend bind everything to that json and save it every 1-2 seconds in setInterval.

  • owebmaster 3 days ago
    Use indexeddb
  • apothegm 3 days ago
    Y tho?