--- title: "Access Patterns - Martin Hicks" description: "Learn DynamoDB by running it - a real DynamoDB engine in your browser, from your first GetItem to single-table design. No AWS account, nothing to install." canonical: https://martinhicks.dev/projects/accesspatterns last-updated: 2026-06-25 --- ![Access Patterns](https://martinhicks.dev/images/accesspatterns-logo.svg) 2026 · Creator # Access Patterns Learn DynamoDB by running it - a real DynamoDB engine in your browser, from your first GetItem to single-table design. No AWS account, nothing to install. [https://accesspatterns.dev ↗](https://accesspatterns.dev) --- ## About accesspatterns.dev [accesspatterns.dev](https://accesspatterns.dev) is a place to learn DynamoDB by running it. Open the page and there's a real DynamoDB-compatible engine already loaded with a table, right in the browser tab. No AWS account, nothing to install. DynamoDB is a brilliant database and a hard one to learn - it punishes the instincts you bring from SQL. You don't get it from reading; you get it from building a table, writing the items, firing the query and seeing what comes back. That needs an account or a local emulator, which is enough friction that plenty of people read about single-table design without ever building one. accesspatterns.dev takes the friction away: the database is in the tab. ### What's in it - A course of around twenty lessons, from your first `GetItem` to single-table design, each one something you build and run rather than just read. - A handful of worked models to pull apart - a game leaderboard, a SaaS multi-tenant table - closer to what you'd actually ship than the usual textbook example. - A full console: assemble any operation, fire it at the table, and lift the request straight out as JavaScript SDK v3, boto3 or AWS CLI code. ### How it runs It's built on [Dynoxide](https://martinhicks.dev/projects/dynoxide), my DynamoDB engine, compiled to WebAssembly and running in a Web Worker in your tab. There's no backend - every query, scan and write runs client-side against a SQLite-backed store, which is why it needs no account and nothing to install. It's a preview. The wasm build doesn't yet run against the [conformance suite](https://martinhicks.dev/projects/dynamodb-conformance) that holds Dynoxide's native build to real DynamoDB, so treat what you see as illustrative rather than authoritative. Building accesspatterns.dev on the engine is what's been hardening it, and getting the wasm build onto that suite is the next job. ## From the journal - [![A faded screenshot of the accesspatterns.dev playground console with the accesspatterns.dev wordmark overlaid, in the dark oxide theme](https://martinhicks.dev/images/articles/introducing-accesspatterns-dev.png) Learn DynamoDB by running it - accesspatterns.dev accesspatterns.dev runs a real DynamoDB-compatible engine in your browser, so you can learn DynamoDB by running queries and scans against a live table - the modelling, the access patterns, the way it behaves. Built on dynoxide compiled to WebAssembly, with no AWS account and nothing to install.](https://martinhicks.dev/articles/introducing-accesspatterns-dev) ## PROJECTS [Access Patterns 2026–present](https://martinhicks.dev/projects/accesspatterns) [Dynoxide 2025–present](https://martinhicks.dev/projects/dynoxide) [Parity Suite 2026–present](https://martinhicks.dev/projects/dynamodb-conformance) [Si Novi 2018–present](https://martinhicks.dev/projects/si-novi) [Plugins & Tools 2018–present](https://martinhicks.dev/projects/open-source) [Tariff St. / Human 2011–2018](https://martinhicks.dev/projects/tariff-street) [Iconic Mobile 2010–2012](https://martinhicks.dev/projects/iconic-mobile) [Freelance 2008–2011](https://martinhicks.dev/projects/freelance) [Via Studios 2005–2008](https://martinhicks.dev/projects/via-studios) ## Get in touch [ hello@martinhicks.dev ](mailto:hello@martinhicks.dev) Looking for someone to work with on your next project? Head over to [sinovi.uk/contact](https://sinovi.uk/contact) and we'll arrange a call to discuss your plans. ## Follow me - [ GitHub ](https://github.com/hicksy) - [ Bluesky ](https://bsky.app/profile/martinhicks.dev) - [ Mastodon ](https://hachyderm.io/@martinhicks) - [ LinkedIn ](https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-hicks-8061748/) ## Work history 1. ![sinovi logo](https://martinhicks.dev/images/sinovi-logo.png) Company [Si Novi](https://sinovi.uk) Date 2018 Present Role Founder / Principal Consultant 2. ![human software logo](https://martinhicks.dev/images/human-logo.jpeg) Company Tariff St. / Human Date 2011 2018 Role Director. Software development 3. ![](https://martinhicks.dev/images/iconic-mobile-logo.png) Company Iconic Mobile Date 2010 2012 Role Director. Mobile app development 4. ![mjh logo - basic, the letters mjs](https://martinhicks.dev/images/mjh-logo.png) Company Freelance Date 2008 2011 Role Web & mobile developer 5. ![via studios logo](https://martinhicks.dev/images/via-logo.ico) Company Via Studios Date 2005 2008 Role Web developer ## Recently played [ ![13 (Special Edition)](https://lastfm-img.freetls.fastly.net/i/u/174s/ce5f6c82da40669f57bb4ee122957238.png) No Distance Left to Run Blur — 13 (Special Edition) ](https://www.last.fm/music/Blur/_/No+Distance+Left+to+Run)[ ![First Time I Ever Saw Your Face - Single](https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Music/de/4c/12/mzi.rqjfzfsh.jpg/300x300bb.jpg) First Time I Ever Saw Your Face Easther Bennett — First Time I Ever Saw Your Face - Single ](https://music.apple.com/us/album/first-time-i-ever-saw-your-face-single/432012321?uo=4)[ ![Takk... 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