Younes SERRAJ

April 22, 2025

Building a Complex Real-Time Search Engine: PostgreSQL vs. Elasticsearch

PostgreSQL or Elasticsearch? I built a solid SQL-based search engine, but as complexity grows, I'm at a crossroads: keep pushing PG, or bring in Elasticsearch. This post is a behind-the-scenes look at my thought process, what real-time search really means, the tradeoffs I'm facing, and how I plan to move forward.

How to write a recursive SQL query

SQL PostgreSQL CTE ActiveRecord

Let's see how to write a recursive SQL query with PostgreSQL's CTE (Common Table Expressions) and ActiveRecord

How to have UUID primary keys with PostgreSQL

PostgreSQL UUID Rails Migration pgcrypto

Step-by-step tutorial on how to enable and use UUID primary keys in your Rails application