Difference Between Materialized View and View iin SQL

Materialized View:

A materialized view is a database object that stores the result of a query physically on disk.

It improves performance by storing precomputed data, which is useful for complex queries, data warehousing, and reporting.

Since the data is stored, accessing it is faster. However, there may be a lag between refreshes, meaning the data might not always be up-to-date.

Materialized views are periodically refreshed, either on a scheduled basis or manually, to keep the data current.

View:

A view is a virtual table in SQL that is based on the result of a SELECT query.

It does not store data physically but displays data fetched from the underlying base tables whenever accessed.

Views simplify complex queries, encapsulate business logic, and provide a layer of security by controlling data access.

Since it doesn’t store data, any changes made in the underlying tables are immediately reflected in the view.

In summary, materialized views store data on disk for faster access but may not always be current, while views do not store data and always display the latest data from the base tables.