Added NoSQL callout (#343)

[adamancer]

Adds brief discussion of NoSQL. Closes #343.

[github-actions]

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⏱️ Updated at 2026-03-31 11:16:07 +0000

[jd-foster]

Hey Adam, apologies for the delay on getting to this. Thanks for writing this clear explanation, I think it answers a question people often have.
I wonder if this might be a bit of an overload to put in the introduction - I do note that there is a proposed database design discussion that this could be a really useful addition to.

[jd-foster]

Tweaks - "rigid" -> "fixed", remove the explicit vendor name (MongoDB) , give an example of a different application.

[jd-foster]

Suggested change

NoSQL databases are diverse, employing a variety of data structures tailored to specific use cases, but in general provide a scalable way to store, search, and establish relationships within large datasets that cannot easily be represented by a rigid, tabular schema. A more thorough discussion of the differences between SQL and NoSQL is beyond the scope of this lesson, but curious readers can start with [this comparison](https://www.mongodb.com/nosql-explained/nosql-vs-sql) by MongoDB, a NoSQL database vendor.

NoSQL databases are diverse, employing a variety of data structures tailored to specific use cases, but in general provide a scalable way to store, search, and establish relationships within large datasets that cannot easily be represented by a fixed tabular schema. A more thorough discussion of the differences between SQL and NoSQL is beyond the scope of this lesson, but curious readers can start with [this comparison](https://www.mongodb.com/nosql-explained/nosql-vs-sql) by a NoSQL database vendor.

[jd-foster]

Suggested change

	SQL is not the only tool for managing and analyzing large amounts of data. As described above, SQL databases store data in tables using a rigid schema. This works well for many applications, but larger, more complex projects may benefit from the more flexible approach provided by NoSQL databases.
	SQL is not the only tool for managing and analyzing large amounts of data. As described above, SQL databases store data in tables using a rigid schema. This works well for many applications, but more complex projects may benefit from the more flexible approach provided by NoSQL databases. A common application for NoSQL databases is storing documents and files.