How to do Single-table design with DynamoDB?

As we discussed the key concepts of DynamoDB in the previous post, it is now time to dive into how to apply single-table design strategy with DynamoDB. Single-table design is the most cost-effective💰 and efficient way🚀 for using DynamoDB. In this post, we will look at how to model an online library application using Single-table design.

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Introduction

This is Part 2 of a number of articles covering using Serverless with DynamoDB. This article details what Single-table design is and how to apply it.

★ Part 1 of the series is about how DynamoDB fits in the serverless space and the key concepts of DynamoDB.

★ Part 2 of the series looks at Single-table design with DynamoDB.

★ Part 3 of the series gives an example how to use Serverless with DynamoDB.

What is Single-table design?

So, what does Single table design entail? Let’s first take a step back and look at the problem DynamoDB tries to solve. DynamoDB is a NoSQL key-value database built for performing at scale for websites such as Amazon.com. It does not support the relational model with constructs as foreign keys. Structuring the data is up to you.