As we saw in this chapter, designing Couchbase documents is partly art and partly science. More than relational systems and most other NoSQL systems, Couchbase's schema-less design requires great care, not just because Couchbase is a hybrid key/value and document store system.

Many developers choose Couchbase for its performance. Designing a document-based system for scaling involves a unique set of constraints and concerns. Other developers choose Couchbase for its flexibility. Designing a document-based system for flexibility raises several unique considerations for applications.

Those developers who choose Couchbase for both its flexibility and its scalability have the added challenge of trying to tweak performance without sacrificing the flexibility of a document database.

It's always tempting to approach system design by sticking to what we know. It's important to remember that Couchbase is a truly unique system, and your document design will not necessarily seem obvious at first...