Should I Store User Inputs as JSON in SQLite or Use Separate Columns?

If you're okay with every database operation requiring you to serialize the data to and from JSON, go ahead and use it. But it can get messy, and if you're doing a lot of querying, you might just want to stick with a more traditional setup. Have you thought about using a NoSQL database if you need that kind of flexibility without the hassle?

So, it sounds like you want to retrieve data by month rather than pulling everything at once, right? In that case, using a structured approach with individual columns might be better for performance, especially if you want to execute queries that filter by month later on. JSON is fine for settings or static data, but if you need those features of SQL, consider sticking with columns.

It kind of depends on your data use case. If you need well-defined structures and want to ask your database questions like 'what events do I have?' then go for individual columns. But if you have loose data where users can add random tags, JSON is a good fit. SQLite has JSON query functions too, which could help if you decide to go that route for the flexibility.

Have you thought about how you'll actually use this data? If you plan to search through multiple documents or fetch individual fields regularly, using separate columns is probably the way to go. But if the inputs are pretty stable and you just want some flexibility, JSON could work fine. But just keep in mind that moving to a structured approach might be better in the long run if your needs evolve.