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Vol. I · No. 251
Mon · 8 Jun
A Daily Lexicon of Trustworthy Data
The Lexicon

005·14

schema evolution

/ˈskiː.mə ˌɛv.əˈluː.ʃən/ - n.

1 [colloq.] The fossil record of the data model: every layer a column someone added and no one was ever allowed to remove.Keep. Punchy.This is the problem.

Working definition

2. The managed change of a schema over time — adding, deprecating, or altering fields — while preserving compatibility for existing consumers.

Promoted
See also
  • data contractA promise with a schema, signed by no one with the authority to keep it.
  • schema designAn afternoon of careful structure followed by two years of columns named after the ticket that demanded them.
  • slowly changing dimensionAn attribute the business called permanent in the requirements meeting and changed twice before launch.