Think fast
Thoughts and ideas on how to build tools, automate workflows and speed-up the workplace.
What is ACID Compliance?
ACID compliance is one of the most fundamental data management concepts that you’ll want to get to grips with. In fact, this is so ubiquitous that you not have paid it much attention before - to many people, it’s just the way databases work. Of course, this isn’t quite the case. Not every database adheres to the ACID model. Indeed, not every use case would benefit from this. Therefore, we need to know what we’re dealing with in order to make an informed decision about what’s right for our app project’s data model.
Ronan McQuillan
May 12, 2023
Data Management Software Solutions | 2024 Buyer’s Guide
Data is the foundation of every successful organization today. Therefore, it follows that your choice of data management solutions has an outsized impact on the wider business. This is a lot of pressure for IT teams to get things right. The trouble is that data management is a pretty broad field, to say the least. Your decision-making here is going to affect just about every process at every level of your business - but, even worse, the effect won’t be uniform.
Ronan McQuillan
Feb 24, 2023
How to Build a MongoDB CRUD App with Budibase
NoSQL databases such as MongoDB seem intimidating at first. The MongoDB CRUD operations come from a different paradigm, which might be confusing if you are used to SQL databases. But it doesn’t need to be this way. Instead of manually figuring out how to perform CRUD operations in MongoDB, you can use the power of low-code to do it for you. That is, create an app that handles these differences, allowing you to interact with your DB, just like you would with other tools, like phpMyAdmin.
Ronan McQuillan
Aug 22, 2022
Spreadsheet vs Database | What's the Difference?
Data is everywhere in modern businesses. How you store, manage, and access this has a massive impact on your efficiency, effectiveness, and, ultimately, your success. Today we’re diving deep into spreadsheets vs databases. No doubt, you’re familiar with both of these types of platforms. At least, it’s a safe bet that you’re comfortable enough using a spreadsheet. You might even have some database skills already or maybe even a bit of SQL knowledge.
Ronan McQuillan
Aug 22, 2022
How to Build a Google Sheets Dashboard
Spreadsheets are great, but they also come along with a whole raft of limitations. You’ll know this if you’ve ever tried using spreadsheet tools to manage or monitor large datasets. Today we’re looking at one important workaround - how to build a Google Sheets dashboard. Of course, Google Sheets is incredibly useful for storing and manipulating all kinds of data. This could be financial data, personal information, KPIs, key metrics, or any other kind of business intelligence.
Ronan McQuillan
Aug 21, 2022
How to make an App from Excel Spreadsheets
We love to hate spreadsheets. They’re everywhere. We use Excel for everything from planning our vacations and weddings, to managing inventories, payroll, and just about any other business process under the sun. But, like any blunt instrument, spreadsheets are almost the most elegant solution. Today, we’re going to look at a better way to manage data, calculations, and workflows. That is, how to make an app from Excel spreadsheets. You see, spreadsheets offer a huge amount of flexibility - there’s a reason why they’re so ubiquitous.
Ronan McQuillan
Aug 21, 2022
Data Sources for App Projects | Ultimate Guide
When building a web app, your choice of data source is critical. Deciding how and where to store, access, and manipulate data is fundamental to every successful app project. Today, we’ll be looking at everything you need to know to get this decision right. We’ll start with the basics, including what a data source is, the different ways web apps access data, and how this fits into your wider app architecture.
Ronan McQuillan
May 22, 2022
How to Create a Data Model in 9 Steps
Knowing how to create a data model is the first step toward building a successful app. This is the foundation of how you’ll transform your business requirements into reality. In fact, all other elements of your app build on your data model. However, coming up with an effective data model presents a few key challenges. This is a complex process, involving end-users, technical teams, and other business stakeholders. Today, we’re going to look at exactly how you can create a successful data model.
Ronan McQuillan
May 22, 2022