mediumDesignConceptMidSeniorStaff
In a modern columnar warehouse, would you still build a star schema or just use one wide table?
6 min readUpdated 2026-08-15
Answer
Short answer
Settle the grain first - what one fact row means.A star still earns its place for conformed dimensions and type-2 history, while a wide table is a serving artefact for one known pattern.
The practical dimensional modelling test is whether the star schema or one wide table answer gives the interviewer something concrete to challenge.
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