Quick question on data load optimization in RG

bartek.dev · 2020-09-24T12:47:40.491Z

Hey guys,

sorry about the cliche topic but I couldn’t find straight answer.

I’m doing small pivot with my app and I need to create search page that will search for users with certain skills, experience category etc.

Now as this wasn’t the plan from the beginning I wasn’t optimizing the User datatype for a search. It has over 50 field type, some are simple boolean some are much more complex. A lot of data.

I am thinking about creating simple “mirror” datatype that I would call UserMirror that would only have: profile image, description, category experience, rate, list of skills, link to user profile on it - which is what I need to display results into RG if the user want’s to see the full profile I just redirect him (in the new tab) into the /profile page .I plan to have at least 500 users with profiles and seeing the bubble logs with only me loading 9 profiles … is scary (rg is set to ext. vertical scroll not full list)

This thread got me thinking about the amount of data I am loading even if the data is not displayed on the page. Thank you @lottemint.md

Alternative approach to the Bubble’s recent tutorials for list of things Tips

Hello everybody, I’ve taken a look at some tutorials from the following topic: In short, I think that these tutorials contain some crucial mistakes. Regarding How To Build A Pinterest Clone Without Code Configure your database User [image] We’re facing this mistake on many apps. That’s a wrong approach since it negatively affects performance and speed. Let me explain why I do think that this is wrong. The Bubble’s unique id for each thing looks like the next one: 1583401182457x36677…

I am sure some Bubble ninja has already spoke about it but I can’t find the right topic

any thoughts/advice? Is it good idea?

bartek.dev · 2020-09-25T15:52:03.346Z

shameless strategic bump

anybody? I think I will go for it

ed727 · 2020-09-26T11:49:27.029Z

I went back and read the post you referenced. Posts about speed and optimization usually focus on which way to connect data and related pros/cons. This post however brings up a new angle – how and whether the number of fields in a datatype impacts search and load performance.

Let’s say there are two datatypes – datatype More and datatype Less. Each contains the same number of things. Datatype Less has 5 fields. Datatype More contains 50 fields.

Then you set up searches for Less and More which are executed server side. The searches are exactly the same (the searches for More and Less only use the fields that are common between More and Less). Is the time and utilization on the server side the same for these two searches? Or does More take more time and utilization because it has more fields, even though those extra fields aren’t being searched?

Then you display the search results for each – say it’s around 25 things. You set up the RG so that it only displays the Name field, and nothing else. Is the time and utilization to display the list of names for More greater (because perhaps it is loading all the fields into the page, even though only the name field is being displayed)? If so, is that difference material?

I think the question is not only if there is a difference, but how material that difference may be.

bartek.dev · 2020-09-27T11:31:37.017Z

Hey @ed727,

thank for the input. Yes, what you wrote is much better articulated dilemma I have.

I did some more digging

Performance Q&A guide

If a page object has a type (and similarly if a group has a type and a data source has been assigned to that typed group) and is displaying an object of that type, that thing is downloaded to the browser. And pretty much any and all fields on that data object that are allowed by privacy rules that pass get downloaded to the browser. You can see this when you view source on such a page.

One-to-many-to-many-to-many performance

If A has a list of B, whenever you load A, you load all the ids of Bs in that list. We may change this eventually but no short-term plans to do this. We don’t actually load the rest of the data for the Bs unless you actually reference a property on the Bs.

Alternative approach to the Bubble’s recent tutorials for list of things

Alternative approach to the Bubble’s recent tutorials for list of things

But I am still convinced, that if you Do a search for Pins you are also going to be loading PinsDetails (regardless of it hiding in a different data table)…

Yes, we “tested” this some time ago (load a page, then drop the internet connection) and it does seem to behave as you suggest. That more than just the thing you loaded is loaded…

I did the same test NigelG did. Load the visible data, drop the internet connection and display the data.

test it here

Bubble

Bubble Editor - Piaskownica

Build stuff without code and launch a startup without a tech-cofounder! Bubble is a visual programing language. Instead of typing code, use a visual editor to build applications.

I think UserMirror is a good move - but there is also the next action which is using the link I have in the RG and sending the data to the next page - and what kind of impact will that have on optimizing the page load of the next page.

jordanfaucet · 2020-09-27T20:58:28.617Z

Ya the UserMirror idea is a good move.

@lottemint.md is correct in his strategy.

For your example, if you create UserMirror - and load all of those items in a repeating group, you will link to your user via one-to-many relationship. Only the unique ID of the user will be loaded into the browser (not all 50 fields of the user object).

Keep in mind an alternative perspective as well though. If you offered pagination, and only loaded 10 users per page; you may not need to do this UserMirror database change.

As for linking to the next page, I would not worry about that, until you witness or hear of performance issues. Which you probably wont. The main concern here is the repeating group, if you are loading 100s of users in an extendable (one page) repeating group and each user has 50 fields (and you haven’t implemented the UserMirror stragegy - you will eventually have a very heavy page. May compromise user experience.

jordanfaucet · 2020-09-27T22:01:48.603Z

Actually , I should clarify. I don’t think the pagination would help for this one.

With 50 fields per user, even a 3 celled repeating group might take a long time to render right on page load (im not sure); but as you say, you have seen in your logs, it is a heavy resource.
Definitely advisible to break it up into different tables userMirror style.

ed727 · 2020-09-27T23:32:50.150Z

Thanks, it seems that every time I turn around I learn something new about performance optimization.

Question though – if you’re going to mirror your data, why wouldn’t you display the detail version in a popup or hidden group, on the same page? Going to a new page seems like it would take more time/resource.

bartek.dev · 2020-09-28T09:18:34.322Z

hey @jordanfaucet!

Thanks for taking the time. I should say that your posts in the thread above were as influential

jordanfaucet:

The main concern here is the repeating group, if you are loading 100s of users in an extendable (one page) repeating group and each user has 50 fields (and you haven’t implemented the UserMirror stragegy - you will eventually have a very heavy page. May compromise user experience.

Yes I do plan to use extendable repeating group rather than pagination. I think its better for my case and UX.

jordanfaucet:

As for linking to the next page, I would not worry about that, until you witness or hear of performance issues. Which you probably wont.

I’m thinking that too. I will be sending Parent group UserMirror’s User so should be the same it terms of page load speed

bartek.dev · 2020-09-28T09:32:04.823Z

ed727:

Thanks, it seems that every time I turn around I learn something new about performance optimization.

same here

ed727:

Question though – if you’re going to mirror your data, why wouldn’t you display the detail version in a popup or hidden group, on the same page? Going to a new page seems like it would take more time/resource.

In my case it looks like an industry/product practice. Opening the user in separate tab. I think people search by certain keywords open couple of profile in new tabs and then compare them. The hypothesis here is that is better for UX (will test that|)
I was considering popups and then having the ability to open a profile in the new tab (or straight from the search having a small icon) but I have done that in the past and having a lot of data loaded into the popup wasn’t so great because of: a) time to load the data/lags with display the popup itself b) data loaded previously was visible for a sec ( I could reset the groups when the popup is not visible etc but still)