gadget-best-practices

# Gadget Best Practices: Data Modeling for [COMPANY]

## Core Principles
- **Single Source of Truth**: Each entity should represent a single concept. Avoid duplicating data across models unless absolutely necessary.
- **Relationships Over Redundancy**: Use relational fields (e.g., `belongsTo`, `hasMany`) instead of duplicating data. Example:
  ```javascript
  // Good: Reference via relationship
  const order = await store.findOne('order', { id: orderId });
  const customer = await order.customer();
  
  // Bad: Duplicated customer data
  const order = await store.findOne('order', { id: orderId });
  const customer = await store.findOne('customer', { id: order.customerId });
  ```

## Common Pitfalls & Fixes
- **Over-nesting Models**: Avoid creating deeply nested models (e.g., `UserProfileSettingsNotifications`). Flatten where possible.
- **Ignoring Indexes**: Always add indexes for fields used in queries (e.g., `email` for authentication).

## Quick Checklist
✅ Use `belongsTo` for one-to-many relationships.
✅ Add indexes for fields used in `where` clauses.
✅ Avoid storing derived data (e.g., `totalPrice`) unless it’s frequently accessed.
✅ Validate data at the model level using Gadget’s built-in validations.

Need help? Run `gadget generate model --help` for scaffolding.