Tell HN: The way I do simple data management for new prototypes

15•AndreyK1984•3w ago

Hi folks! I have huge success on a prototype of this approach:

- Store all data as json

- App loads: load full json on a client

- Something changes by user - change json locally and every 10 seconds save whole json to backend as a single json file

- also every 10 seconds load the updated json from backend to client.

Yes, I know, parallel access problems, lack of schema, lack of db, using file to store. But how much it makes life easier and speed ups development at start! I am in this over 20 years, and I like dumb stupid solutions applied properly. Duct taping forever!

Comments

awright96•3w ago

That's certainly one of the development strategies of all time

crabl•3w ago

you can also chuck a json blob into LocalStorage

AndreyK1984•3w ago

Thank you, yes and indexed db too, as in other comment.

I like to have exactly two API calls.

-- load data (returns json)

-- save data (sends json, returns 200 ok)

That is all! Let frontend bind everything to that json and save it every 1-2 seconds in setInterval.

tacostakohashi•3w ago

Nice!

Files are pretty handy. It's a bit surprising how many people seem to have forgotten they are a thing... but not that surprising, given how hard big tech have tried to uninvent them.

AndreyK1984•3w ago

Yep. If I have only one express js process - I can just save and load. if it is 1-5 users - lets story all in a single JSON (although sometimes I use excel for storage). People underestimate simplicity

owebmaster•3w ago

Use indexeddb

apothegm•3w ago

Y tho?

mikert89•2w ago

honeslty with ai, i bet this works really well and basically removes all backend complexity

LLMs are powerful, but enterprises are deterministic by nature

Ask HN: Anyone Using a Mac Studio for Local AI/LLM?

Ask HN: Non AI-obsessed tech forums

Ask HN: Ideas for small ways to make the world a better place

Ask HN: 10 months since the Llama-4 release: what happened to Meta AI?

Ask HN: Who wants to be hired? (February 2026)

Ask HN: Non-profit, volunteers run org needs CRM. Is Odoo Community a good sol.?

Ask HN: Who is hiring? (February 2026)

AI Regex Scientist: A self-improving regex solver

Tell HN: Another round of Zendesk email spam

Ask HN: Is Connecting via SSH Risky?

Ask HN: Has your whole engineering team gone big into AI coding? How's it going?

Ask HN: Why LLM providers sell access instead of consulting services?

Ask HN: What is the most complicated Algorithm you came up with yourself?

Ask HN: How does ChatGPT decide which websites to recommend?

Ask HN: Is it just me or are most businesses insane?

Ask HN: Mem0 stores memories, but doesn't learn user patterns

Ask HN: Is there anyone here who still uses slide rules?

Kernighan on Programming

Ask HN: Any International Job Boards for International Workers?

Ask HN: Anyone Seeing YT ads related to chats on ChatGPT?

Ask HN: Does global decoupling from the USA signal comeback of the desktop app?

We built a serverless GPU inference platform with predictable latency

Ask HN: Does a good "read it later" app exist?

Ask HN: How Did You Validate?

Ask HN: Have you been fired because of AI?

Ask HN: Cheap laptop for Linux without GUI (for writing)

Ask HN: Anyone have a "sovereign" solution for phone calls?

Ask HN: OpenClaw users, what is your token spend?

Test management tools for automation heavy teams