Database Trigger
A piece of SQL that automatically executes in response to INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE events on a table. Useful for audit logs and enforcing complex constraints.
What is Database Trigger?
A piece of SQL that automatically executes in response to INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE events on a table. Useful for audit logs and enforcing complex constraints.
Database Trigger is a foundational concept that sits in the Database Fundamentals area of system design. Engineers reach for it whenever they need to reason about real-world trade-offs in that space — not just for textbook correctness, but because real production systems at companies like Netflix, Amazon, and Google make these decisions every day.
If you want to go deeper than this definition — with diagrams, code, and a quiz to lock it in — work through the "Database Trigger" lesson linked below. It walks through the why, the mechanism, the trade-offs, and how the giants actually use it in production.
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See also
Related glossary terms you might want to look up next.
Stored Procedure
Pre-compiled SQL code stored in the database that can be called by name. Reduces network round trips and keeps business logic close to the data.
SQL
Structured Query Language for managing relational databases. Tables, rows, columns, and powerful joins to query related data.
Event-Driven Architecture
A design pattern where services communicate by producing and consuming events rather than making direct calls. Promotes loose coupling and asynchronous processing.