The Database - Part 2: Querying Data + Xano Basic Database Setup

Welcome back to the Xano tutorial series! In this blog post, we'll dive into the process of building a backend database using Xano's visual interface. By the end, you'll have a solid understanding of how to model your data and create relationships between different entities.

Understanding Database Queries

Before we begin, let's quickly recap how data is traditionally queried from databases. In SQL (Relational Databases), you would use code similar to the following to retrieve data from a table:

For NoSQL (Non-Relational Databases) like MongoDB, the query might look something like this:

While these examples showcase the raw code used to query databases, it's important to understand that most programming languages abstract away this complexity. When developers say they "program" in a particular language, they're essentially writing queries to the database and transforming the retrieved data for the frontend.

Similarly, in the no-code realm, tools like Xano, Airtable, and AppSheet are designed to interact with the database, allowing you to retrieve, transform, and present data without writing code.

Building a Job Board Database with Xano

In this tutorial, we'll walk through the process of creating a backend for a job board application that allows companies to post jobs at various locations. Let's get started!

Step 1: Creating a New Workspace

1. Log in to your Xano account and create a new workspace called "JobBoard."
2. When prompted, choose to start from scratch.

Step 2: Defining Entities

Think about the high-level entities that make up your project. For our job board, we'll need the following tables:

• Users: To store user information.
• Companies: To store company details.
• Jobs: To store job postings.
• Locations: To store the locations where jobs are available.

Create these four tables in your new workspace.

Step 3: Adding Fields to the Locations Table

1. In the Locations table, add a new text field called "Name" to store the location name.
2. Add a few sample locations, such as "Los Angeles," "Paris," and "Berlin."

Step 4: Adding Fields to the Companies Table

1. In the Companies table, add a text field called "Name" to store the company name.
2. Add an object field called "Locations" and change its structure to a list.
3. Inside the "Locations" field, set up a table reference to the Locations table.
4. Add a few sample companies, like "Xano" (located in Los Angeles) and "Google" (located in Berlin, Paris, and Los Angeles).

Step 5: Adding Fields to the Jobs Table

1. In the Jobs table, add a text field called "Title" to store the job title.
2. Add a single table reference field called "Company" to link each job to a specific company.
3. Add an object field called "Locations" and change its structure to a list.
4. Inside the "Locations" field, set up a table reference to the Locations table.
5. Add a few sample jobs, like "Software Engineer" for Google (in Berlin and Los Angeles) and "UX Designer" for Xano (in Los Angeles).

Step 6: Adding Fields to the Users Table

1. In the Users table, add a text field called "Full Name" to store the user's full name.
2. Add a text field called "Email Address" to store the user's email address.
3. Add an object field called "Jobs" and change its structure to a list.
4. Inside the "Jobs" field, set up a table reference to the Jobs table.
5. Add a sample user, such as yourself, and link them to a job (e.g., the "UX Designer" job for Xano).

Congratulations! You've successfully modeled the data for your job board application using Xano's visual interface. In the next tutorial, we'll explore how to query this data and create relationships between different entities using Xano's API.

Key Takeaways

• Xano simplifies backend development by providing a visual interface for designing data models and creating relationships between entities.
• Modeling data in a relational structure (using table references) can provide more flexibility and maintainability compared to a pure NoSQL approach.
• Xano allows you to combine the benefits of SQL (relational data) and NoSQL (flexible data structures) within a single platform.
• Building a solid data model is crucial for any application, and Xano makes this process accessible to both non-technical users and developers alike.

Stay tuned for the next part of this tutorial series, where we'll dive deeper into querying data and creating complex relationships using Xano's API.