Building MapleStack: PostgreSQL for Data Storage

When you’re using modern web applications, it’s easy to forget the multitude of operations running quietly behind the scenes every time a page loads or a button is clicked.

Creating MapleStack was just like solving a jigsaw puzzle. Each service is a piece that plays its part to complete the picture.

In the indie hacker community, there’s a common question: “What’s your tech stack?”. This refers to the set of technologies used to build and run an application. The response to this question is usually list the services. This is somewhat helpful, but it might not mean much to someone who doesn’t know about the services and how they could be used.

Instead of just listing these technologies, I’ll also talk about how I use each service, and share some of its pros and cons.

Starting today, and every week hereafter, I’ll be discussing a tool or service that’s part of MapleStack. Hopefully, you’ll find this information useful.

Component of the Week: PostgreSQL

You’ve probably heard of PostgreSQL. It’s a popular tool in the world of open-source database systems. It has a plethora of features — more than what I’ll likely ever use — and it’s widely recognized for its robustness.

In MapleStack, PostgreSQL is the core datastore. It safely houses data like candidate details, job openings, applications, subscriptions, and more.

Pros:

  • Tried and true, very reliable
  • Support for a wide variety of data types
  • Extensive documentation and a supportive community
  • Scalable for handling sizeable databases
  • Advanced indexing for improved query performance
  • Robust community and commercial support

Cons:

  • Requires predefined table structures, limiting flexibility
  • The setup and management can be complex
  • Performance depends on good hardware for larger datasets
  • Might have a steep learning curve for those new to SQL databases

Really, the drawbacks are few. It’s my top pick for storing relational data. There was this one time I spent over an hour fixing a bug, but it turned out to be just a version mismatch between my cloud service and local machine.

That’s it for now… Next week, I’ll cover NestJS and how it’s used in MapleStack.

Have any questions, want to share your thoughts or just say Hi? I’m always excited to connect! Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn for more insights and discussions. If you’ve found this valuable, please consider sharing it on your social media. Your support through shares and follows means a lot to me! 

Components of MapleStack:

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