In this lesson, we’re tackling an interesting modeling decision that goes beyond simply coding. Let's get into the and of implementing a voting feature in your application, where users can upvote or downvote content like questions and answers.

Let's begin with that million dollar question...

Do We Even Need a Separate Vote Model? 🤔

When designing an application, it’s essential to think carefully about and to store data, especially if it will affect core user interactions. For a voting feature, you might be wondering: Do we really need a separate Vote model, or could we simply store votes in an array within Question or Answer models?

Here are some scenarios to help you decide:

1. Use a Separate Vote Model

   Using a separate Vote model has benefits, especially if you anticipate a large number of votes, complex filtering, or the need to track unique user interactions:

• Handling Scale: As votes increase, querying a separate Vote model can be faster and more flexible than sifting through embedded arrays in each Question or Answer
• Avoiding Duplication: A separate model helps manage duplicate votes (e.g., preventing a user from voting multiple times on the same item)
• User History: This approach allows you to track individual user voting histories. You could easily fetch all votes a user has cast, regardless of whether they voted on questions or answers
• Ease of Querying: With a dedicated Vote model, you can perform advanced queries like finding all users who upvoted a particular answer or checking if a user downvoted a specific question

2. Embed Votes in Question or Answer Models

   Alternatively, you might consider embedding votes directly in the Question or Answer models. Here’s when this option makes sense:

• Simplicity: Embedding votes as an array within Question or Answer documents can make sense for simple apps, where you don't need complex vote tracking
• Ease of Access: You can easily retrieve a question or answer along with its votes in a single query, reducing database calls
• Basic Functionality: If you only need to count votes (upvotes vs. downvotes), an array of basic vote objects might be enough

Based on the above scenarios, make a decision about whether you want to use a separate Vote model or embed votes directly in the Question or Answer models. My advice would be to create a separate model.

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Task 🎯

Now that you understand the reasoning, let’s create your Vote Model using Mongoose. This model will keep track of individual votes as separate documents, providing flexibility and scale as your app grows.

Resources 📖

As usual, you can use the following resources to help you get started

• Mongoose Documentation
• TypeScript with Mongoose

Hint 💡

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Database design isn’t always straightforward, and choices should be based on the application’s needs and expected growth. As you keep learning, you’ll get even better at making these calls. Keep up the great work, and see you in the next lesson!