When should you use updatable views?

Updatable views in MySQL are a powerful feature that allows users to simplify complex queries and enhance data management. They act as a virtual table and can be modified just like any other table, making it easy to simplify database interactions. There are specific scenarios where using updatable views is particularly beneficial:

• Security: Updatable views can be used to restrict access to specific rows and columns of data, providing a controlled environment for users to interact with sensitive information.
• Simplification: They can encapsulate complex joins, aggregations, and calculations, making it easier for users to work with complicated queries without needing to understand the underlying data structure.
• Data Abstraction: Updatable views provide a level of abstraction, allowing users to interact with data without needing to modify the original tables directly.
• Consistency: Changes made through updatable views are reflected in the base tables, which ensures data consistency across the application.

Here is a simple example of creating an updatable view:

CREATE VIEW employee_view AS
SELECT id, name, department
FROM employees
WHERE active = 1;

In this example, the view employee_view allows users to view all active employees. Users can perform updates on this view, and changes will be applied to the underlying employees table directly, demonstrating the effectiveness of updatable views.