Is Redis the ONLY database you need? // Fullstack app from scratch with Next.js & Redis

Summary

This video tutorial explores Redis as an alternative to traditional databases, demonstrating how to build a full-text autocomplete search feature using Redis modules. The project is developed from scratch with Next.js, leveraging React for the frontend and Node.js for backend interactions. Redis Ohm, a new SDK for object mapping in Node.js, is introduced to simplify database operations. The tutorial guides viewers through setting up a Redis database, creating an index for search, and implementing search functionality with real-time UI updates, showcasing Redis' capabilities as a primary app database.

Takeaways

• 🚀 Redis is a high-speed in-memory database often used as a cache to accelerate traditional databases.
• 🔍 Redis can also serve as a primary application database with the help of modules that introduce additional data structures and commands.
• 🛠️ The video demonstrates building a full-text autocomplete search feature, similar to Algolia or Elasticsearch, using Redis.
• 📚 Redis supports JSON data and full-text search capabilities through its modules, which can be utilized to store and query complex data types.
• 🌐 Redis Ohm is a new SDK for Node.js that simplifies object mapping and interactions with Redis databases.
• 💻 The project is built using Next.js, allowing for React on the front end and Node.js on the back end to interact with Redis.
• 🔑 Redis offers a free tier with its cloud service, and additional features like Redis Search and Redis JSON can be added as needed.
• 🔗 Redis Insight is a GUI tool for managing and analyzing data within Redis databases, which can be connected using provided credentials.
• 📝 Redis uses a key-value store system where keys are unique identifiers for the values they point to, and can have different data types.
• 🔍 Redis Search allows for indexing and searching across datasets with capabilities like fuzzy matching and logical comparisons.
• 🔑 The tutorial covers creating an API route and a React component to handle form submissions and search queries, respectively.

Q & A

What is Redis primarily known for in the context of databases?

Redis is primarily known as a mega fast in-memory database, often used as a cache to make traditional databases faster.

Can Redis be used as a primary application database?

Yes, Redis can be used as a primary application database thanks to a suite of modules that add additional data structures and commands to core Redis.

What is Redis Ohm and how does it relate to Node.js?

Redis Ohm is a brand new SDK released by Redis that supports object mapping for Node.js, making it easier to interact with Redis and build a consistent schema around data.

What is the purpose of the project built in the video?

The project aims to build a full-text autocomplete search feature, similar to Algolia or Elasticsearch, using Redis and Next.js, demonstrating Redis's capabilities beyond just caching.

How does Redis handle data storage differently from traditional databases?

Redis stores data in memory, unlike traditional databases that store data on disk, which makes Redis extremely fast with no need for disk round trips when retrieving data.

What is Redis Cloud and how is it related to the video?

Redis Cloud is a cloud-based Redis service. The video collaborates with Redis Enterprise Cloud, which provides a $200 credit and a chance to win a Tesla Model 3 for new sign-ups using a specific code.

How does Redis ensure data persistence even though it's an in-memory database?

On Redis Cloud, the data is persisted, ensuring that there is never any actual data loss, despite the in-memory storage nature of Redis.

What is the significance of the Redis JSON module mentioned in the script?

The Redis JSON module allows storing data as native JSON, which supports nested objects, making it easier to work with complex data structures in Redis.

What is Redis Search and how does it enhance the capabilities of Redis?

Redis Search is a powerful module that can index all fields in a JSON dataset, enabling complex queries and aggregations similar to SQL's WHERE clause and functions like SUM and COUNT.

How does the video demonstrate the creation of a full-text search feature using Redis?

The video demonstrates creating a full-text search feature by building an index with Redis Search, defining a schema with full-text search enabled fields, and implementing search functionality in the application using Redis's search capabilities.

What is the role of the 'create car' function in the Next.js application?

The 'create car' function is responsible for connecting to the Redis database, creating a new car entity based on user input, and saving it to the database with a unique ID.

How does the video script guide the setup of an API route for creating new car entries?

The script guides the setup of an API route named 'cars.js' that handles POST requests, uses the 'createCar' function to add new entries to Redis, and sends a response back to the client with the new unique ID.

What is the purpose of the '.env.local' file in the Next.js project?

The '.env.local' file is used to store environment variables such as the Redis URL, username, and password, which are necessary for connecting to the Redis database.

How does the video script describe the process of querying and filtering data in Redis?

The script describes using Redis Search to create an index and perform full-text search queries on the data, with options for fuzzy matching and logical comparisons.

What is the final outcome of the project demonstrated in the video script?

The final outcome is a full-stack application with Redis and Next.js that allows users to add car entries to a database and perform full-text search queries to retrieve filtered results.