Building a PostgreSQL Database for E-commerce

Designing a database for an e-commerce platform is essential for data management. This article provides a brief guide to building a PostgreSQL database for an online store.

We will create three main tables: Items, Customers, and Orders.

Items Table

• item_id (Primary Key)
• item_name
• item_category
• item_price

Customers Table

• customer_id (Primary Key)
• customer_firstname
• customer_lastname
• customer_address

Orders Table

• order_id (Primary Key)
• customer_id (Foreign Key)
• item_id (Foreign Key)
• items_bought

Normalization reduces redundancy by creating relationships between tables.

Creating Tables

CREATE TABLE items (
  item_id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
  item_name VARCHAR(50),
  item_category VARCHAR(50),
  item_price INT
);

CREATE TABLE customers (
  customer_id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
  customer_firstname VARCHAR(50),
  customer_lastname VARCHAR(50),
  customer_address VARCHAR(100)
);

CREATE TABLE orders (
  order_id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
  customer_id INT REFERENCES customers(customer_id),
  item_id INT REFERENCES items(item_id),
  items_bought INT
);

Creating Views and Importing Data

CREATE VIEW TotalOrders AS
SELECT orders.order_id, customers.customer_firstname, customers.customer_lastname, items.item_name, items.item_category, items.item_price, orders.items_bought, customers.customer_address, items.item_price * orders.items_bought AS spend
FROM orders
INNER JOIN customers ON orders.customer_id = customers.customer_id
INNER JOIN items ON orders.item_id = items.item_id;

FAQ

How to install PostgreSQL?
Download and install PostgreSQL from its official site following the provided instructions.

What tool to use for designing the database?
QuickDBD is a recommended tool for creating database diagrams and generating SQL scripts.

How to connect Postgres to DbVisualizer?
Open DbVisualizer, create a new connection, select the Postgres driver, and fill in the necessary connection details.

Can DbVisualizer create data visualizations?
Yes, DbVisualizer supports converting table data into different chart types for better visualization.

Conclusion

Designing a PostgreSQL database for e-commerce involves creating structured tables and relationships. For more detailed steps and code examples, check out the article How To Design And Build A Database In Postgres.